Cesena, 16 April 2026 – This year, Macfrut is expecting a 20% increase in the number of buyers and exhibitors from five continents. It will feature exclusive events and will be attended by as many as five Agriculture and Trade ministers (two from the Dominican Republic, plus Syria, Lebanon and Italy). Numerous delegations and embassies will also be present. Macfrut is a global meeting point for the fruit and vegetable supply chain, an event where business meets knowledge, featuring an extensive programme of around 100 events with experts from around the world. Taking place from Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23 April at the Rimini Expo Centre, the trade fair will bring together professionals from this strategically important ‘Made in Italy’ sector, which achieved a record-breaking export value of €6.7 billion last year, an 11% increase on 2024.
Despite the current geopolitical uncertainty, and with just one week to go, all international exhibitors and over 800 top buyers have confirmed their attendance, which is the highest number of attendees in Macfrut’s 43-year history (surpassing last year’s figure of 670). Specifically, the number of importers from Northern and Eastern Europe has increased through targeted scouting. Poland, which hosted a networking event in Warsaw last month, has confirmed that it will be sending a particularly large delegation of 30 buyers. A large number of buyer delegations will also be present, including around 40 from Brazil – an increasingly important market for Italian exports — as well as a significant delegation from China, representing its two main fruit and vegetable markets (Guangzhou and Shanghai).
We are proud of this achievement, which is all the more impressive given how challenging a time it is for international events,’ explains Patrizio Neri, President of Macfrut. ‘Many thanks to the Italian Trade Agency for increasing its support for Macfrut even further, helping to promote the internationalisation of the Italian fruit and vegetable supply chain. ITA will be bringing 800 foreign operators from 80 countries to the trade fair. In addition to the wide range of year-round activities organised by our international office, this edition will be the most international to date. Our renewed scouting approach is what made this possible, enabling us to target and identify specific buyers across the entire supply chain.’
The Dominican Republic will have one of the largest delegations, with a huge stand (400 m2) featuring producers and exporters of tropical fruit, as well as leading institutional figures, including the Minister of Agriculture, Francisco Oliverio Espaillat Bencosme, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Eduardo José Sanz Lovatón, the former President of the Senate, Porfirio Andrés Bautista García, and the Ambassador to Italy, Ada Francisca Hernández Rivera.
On Tuesday 21 April at 4 pm, the Lebanese and Syrian Ministers of Agriculture, Nizar Hani and Amjad Bader, will be at Macfrut to take part in the meeting ‘Cultivating Cooperation: Agricultural Strategies and Cooperativism for Mediterranean Resilience’, organised by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). Italy’s Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida will also attend. The exhibition space will also host 10 of the Agency’s offices abroad (Tirana, Bogotá, San Salvador, Havana, Tunis, Jerusalem, Beirut, Maputo, Kampala and Hanoi), with two special focus sessions: one dedicated to Latin America and one to Albania, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tirana.
The international stands are set to host several events, including the signing of an agreement between Macfrut and Frutas de Chile, Chile’s leading exporters’ association (on Wednesday, 22 April at 5 pm, Hall B1-036). A workshop featuring representatives from the Embassy of India in Rome will be held on the same day (at 4.30 pm in Post-Harvest Area D2) to present the business opportunities arising from the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Macfrut will also host the Mediterranean Stone Fruit Summit, as well as the ‘International Conference on Herbs and Spices (ICHS-2026)’ with speakers from the USA, Morocco, India, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Tunisia, Serbia, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Pakistan, Algeria, Libya, Switzerland and South Africa.
Macfrut 2026 will have an international focus on Caribbean countries, with participants from Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. Representing South America will be Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru, while more than 20 Sub-Saharan countries will represent Africa, with Algeria being the latest addition.
Macfrut 2026 - Rimini Expo Centre: Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 April (9.30 am-6 pm), Thursday 23 April (9.30 am-5 pm).
Info: macfrut.com