The second edition of Frutech, the Mediterranean Fruit & Vegetables Expo, ended on Saturday, 29 November. It was hosted at the SiciliaFiera convention center in Misterbianco, a town in the province of Catania, Sicily. The event set a new attendance record, confirming the growing interest in this reference point for the Mediterranean fruit and vegetable sector.
During the three-day exhibition, the halls were filled with lively debates about innovation, sustainability, and new market trends by producers, technology companies, traders, research bodies, and foreign buyers. Expanded exhibition spaces and a more streamlined organization facilitated smoother access, enabling exhibitors to focus on targeted meetings and networking.
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© FreshPlazaA large number of visitors attended the three-day fair, and its operators were pleased with the turnout
The fair's international presence was further solidified by increased participation from buyers and delegations of Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Companies from various parts of Italy found this opportunity valuable because it allowed them to forge new business relations.
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© FreshPlazaAntonino Di Paola President DOSES
The fair provided ample food for thought, drawing directly from the experiences and insights of the operators.
"We're thrilled about this year's Frutech," said Antonino Di Paola, president of DOSES, in an interview with FreshPlaza. The Fruit and Vegetable District of Southeast Sicily was represented by its network of companies, which presented the district's activities and new projects.
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© FreshPlazaCommercial Director of Agrimat Francesca Gilardenghi
"This year, we decided to participate in the Frutech fair for the first time to establish a presence in the area through this interesting and growing event, which has room for future development," said Gilardenghi, the commercial director of Agrimat. Agrimat is a company based in Tortona, in the Piedmont region, that specializes in designing and constructing machinery for the agri-food sector. "We received several visits from our long-standing customers and were able to meet with potential new clients and partners who offer complementary products, with a view to future collaborations in the area. We believe it is an interesting fair that will experience real growth in the short term. We will certainly be happy to take part in future editions."
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© FreshPlazaSales Manager Sicily of HM Clause Agostino Marcellino
"We believe that Frutech is a strategic opportunity to expand our network," said Agostino Marcellino, HM Clause Italia's Sales Manager for Sicily. "Thanks to its proximity to the Sicilian and national production network, we can build strong partnerships and achieve significant objectives for both our company and our partners."
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© FreshPlazaCo-owner of the Uva Brunetti company, Angelo Brunetti
Angelo Brunetti of Frutech also expressed encouragement, reiterating the idea of having "an Italian seedless early grape by the end of May as an alternative to the overseas grapes that large-scale retailers traditionally offer at the start of the sales season." This approach would advance the commercial launch of Italian seedless grapes to late spring due to Sicilian production rather than tie it to the July start in Apulia.
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© FreshPlazaTomatoes on a sorting machine
Several entrepreneurs from the "fascia trasformata" (the southeastern area of Sicily stretching from Pachino to Licata) met in the exhibition hall corridors and expressed interest in participating as exhibitors in future editions. However, they requested a stronger presence of large-scale retail buyers. Their request confirms the event's enormous potential as a platform for bringing together producers, processors, and the retail sector.
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© FreshPlazaSales Director of SiciliaFiera, Rosario Sallemi, together with General Manager of SiciliaFiera, Francesco Finocchiaro
"We are very satisfied with the second edition of Frutech," said Rosario Sallemi, Sales Director at SiciliaFiera. "I would like to thank all the exhibitors who have placed their trust in us. Many of them have already confirmed their participation in the next edition. We are prepared to keep working to connect with new global partners and grow our network."
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© Giancarlo Fabbri | FreshPlaza.comVincenzo Graci, President of the Association of Producers for the Protection of Licata's Buttiglieddru Tomato; Chef Director Vincenzo La Cognata; and Consultant Salvatore Graci
During Frutech, the PGI Pachino Tomato Protection Consortium received the "Sicilian Fresh & Vegetables Award" at the agriculture and agri-food expo held recently in the SiciliaFiera district of Catania–Misterbianco.
The appointed commission selected the Pachino PGI Tomato Consortium from among all Sicilian consortia. In its statement, the commission noted that "in recent decades, the Pachino PGI tomato has become an iconic symbol of Italian gastronomy." The statement also highlights how the consortium's marketing and communication efforts succeeded in developing a product that was later successful. The consortium's work has therefore been essential in creating product value that reflects the value of an entire territory."
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© Media Factor In the photo, from right: President Sebastiano Fortunato receives the award from Rosario Sallemi – in the center – and Prof. Duccio Caccioni.
"This recognition goes to all our members, the Board of Directors, the work team, and everyone who supports us daily with passion and dedication on our complex journey toward increasingly ambitious goals for our Sicilian red gold," President Fortunato recalled.
Regarding the 2025 edition of the fair, participation in the conferences and technical meetings was also very positive. These events featured researchers, technicians, associations, and supply chain representatives. The focus was on resource management, climate adaptation strategies, food safety, logistics, and internationalization opportunities for local businesses.
© Giancarlo Fabbri | FreshPlaza.comNino Di Cavolo, President of SiciliaFiera
The second edition of Frutech, therefore, closes with a positive outcome and the sense that growth is underway. Visitors from all the main Italian regions confirm that Frutech is now a fair that attracts interest and attendance well beyond its local area, not just limited to Southern Italy. The organizers have announced plans to expand the international aspect and enhance the technical content in preparation for the next edition.
Source: B.T. for FreshPlaza
