Tropical Fruit Congress, global experts to discuss avocados at Macfrut

Cesena,  April 2022 – Preparations are in full swing for the Tropical Fruit Congress, the first tropical fruit summit in Europe, to be held on 6 May at the Rimini Expo Centre during Macfrut and coordinated by NCX Drahorad. During this year’s edition, which will be the third, the spotlight will be on an exotic product, i.e. avocado. In fact, over the last few years, avocado consumption has grown exponentially in several European countries.
A panel of speakers at the Congress and technical workshops is being arranged, who will provide an interesting insight into all things avocado: market, consumption, commercial trends, technologies, and marketing strategies.
As for Italy, Daria Lodi from the Statistics and Market Observatory department of CSO Italy will provide a comprehensive picture of the consumption of exotic fruit, focusing in particular on avocado consumption in Italy; Andrea Passanisi, founder of Sicilia Avocado, a highly dynamic company and leading avocado producer in Italy; and Mattia Menni, Marketing Manager of Spreafico Francesco & F.lli, a company that created the èSquisita brand for marketing exotic fruit.
A number of experts from the main production and consumption areas around the world will take the floor. So far, among these, the participation of Jorge Enrique Restrepo, Executive Director of Corpohass, the Colombian Hass Avocado Producers and Exporters Corporation, has been confirmed. Mr Restrepo will touch on various aspects of the Hass avocado in Colombia, from production to exports, and from new markets to future outlooks, as well as presenting sustainability initiatives and communication and marketing activities aimed at promoting this fruit both in Colombia and globally. Moreover, a special focus will be placed on two of the world’s leading avocado-producing countries: speakers will include Therese Bruwer, from the research team of South Africa-based Westfalia Fruit International, and Benjamin Mutuku Tito, Director of the Horticultural Crops Directorate of Kenya.
Paz Garcia, Head of Food Market Segment of the German company Ziehl-Abegg, will talk about technologies, especially those related to ventilation. In fact, tropical fruits require consistently good air quality and specific environmental conditions during and after their natural growth to make sure they are as fresh, nutritious and palatable as possible for consumers. Professor Ernst Woltering from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands will also be giving a speech about technology.
The Tropical Fruit Congress will include not only a congress and technical workshops, one of which will be held by Mr Aldo Pesce, Export Sales Manager of Amenduni Nicola S.p.A., an innovative company specialising in machinery for the extraction of avocado oil, but also a thematic exhibition area and networking sessions, which will take place during the coffee break and business lunch scheduled between the two sessions.
For further information, go to: https://tropicalfruitcongress.com/