Fruit Attraction 2022, the leading event for the global fruit and vegetable sector, has concluded in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, following a successful event in Madrid which welcomed international participants from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
As part of the Guest Importing Country Programme, amongst the Middle East buyers were Panada Retail Company and Waha Fruits Trading Company, both based in Saudi Arabia.
The annual event was organised and hosted at the IFEMA MADRID exhibition centre in partnership with FEPEX, the Spanish federation of associations of producers and exporters of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and live plants. It welcomed 89,535 professionals from 137 countries and 1,740 exhibitors from 57 countries during the three-day event in Dubai.
Exhibitors primarily represented European countries, namely Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium, as well as Africa and the Americas with exhibitors from countries such as Ecuador, the United States, Chile, and Colombia.
Fresh Produce, the exhibition area for fruit and vegetable producers and traders, was the most populated area, accounting for 72 per cent. However, this year’s edition also saw a 57 per cent increase in the Fresh Food Logistics area and an almost 100 per cent increase in Smart Agro.
A focus of the event was innovation within the sector, with The Innovation Hub providing a platform for 46 products and services. Amongst those recognised were Surinver, fruit and vegetable wholesaler in the Fresh Produce category; leading agriculture company Syngenta in the Fruit and Vegetable Industry category; and cherry tomato producer Granada La Palma in the Sustainability and Commitment Actions category.
María José Sánchez, director of Fruit Attraction, said: “A full conference schedule made Fruit Attraction the knowledge centre for the sector and included three congresses and 84 presentations, which were all delivered by high-level speakers and informed decision makers,” reports Zawya.
“Some of the highlights included the 3rd Fresh Food Logistics Summit, the Biofruit Congress, Biotech Attraction 2022 and the 6th Grape Attraction Congress, and other sessions such as Public funding lines for expenditure and investment in research and innovation in the fruit and vegetable sector; and the New Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products: complex, unrealistic and with a direct impact on European agriculture,” adds Sánchez. “All of which contributed to the outstanding success of the event.”
Speaking at the event, an unnamed representative of Panda Retail Company said: “Fruit Attraction has evolved tremendously in recent years, giving exporters in Spain and other regions the opportunities to work with companies around the world in more innovative ways. Fruit Attraction remains one of Europe’s most important fruit and vegetable events, where you can find suppliers from around the world all under one roof,” reports Zawya.
