Fruit Attraction, one of the world’s leading international trade fairs for the fruit and vegetable sector, has closed its first edition in Brazil, at the São Paulo Expo. The three-day event brought together the entire production chain of the sector, with the presence of 45 countries and 8 Brazilian states (São Paulo, Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhão, Pará, Espírito Santo and Paraná) and 12,000 visitors.
Fruit Attraction São Paulo brought together more than 300 exhibiting brands from 15 different nationalities – France, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, the United States, New Zealand, Egypt, Turkey and Israel, as well as Brazil, demonstrating the international nature of the event and the attractiveness of the national market.
“Fruit Attraction São Paulo is born as the international fair of reference for the fruit and vegetable market in the southern hemisphere, alternating and harmonizing with Fruit Attraction Madrid, which is the leading event in the northern hemisphere. This fair will be the meeting point, not only for producers from all the Brazilian states, but also from Latin American countries. At IFEMA MADRID we are proud to be able to contribute to the growth of the local fruit and vegetable market and to be able to share our specialized know-how for this”, says Jaime Martín, Director of International Expansion at IFEMA MADRID.
“We are very satisfied with the results of the first edition of this flagship IFEMA MADRID show in Brazil, which featured more than 300 exhibiting brands. We have already noticed many visitors interested in participating as exhibitors in the next edition and a high rate of renewal requests, as well as an increase in the area of those who have already exhibited with us this year”, says Maurício Macedo, General Manager of Fiera Milano Brasil, co-organizer of the event.
The structure set up was one of the positive points for Guilherme Coelho, President of Abrafrutas (Brazilian Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruit and Fruit Products). “I am very happy with Fruit Attraction São Paulo, a fair that is here to stay. Important elements such as good stands, business meetings, content panels and, above all, crowded aisles indicate that the event will consolidate”, he said.
The next edition will increase in size, occupying two pavilions of the São Paulo Expo. “We knew that this first edition would be very good because of the Brazilian tradition and the successful experience of IFEMA MADRID, which have been great drivers and will undoubtedly help us to organise an even better fair next year. Our expectations are already very high”, adds Macedo.
The event featured an interactive experience and forum with more than 20 hours of content. Renowned chefs prepared recipes with the ingredients exhibited in the Cooking Show by São Paulo Negócios space. The Fruit Forum, sponsored by the governments of Bahia and Maranhão, the Port of Suape and Apex Brasil, marked the new trends and opportunities for those who are or wish to be entrepreneurs in the fruit and vegetable sector.
New business
The performance of Fruit Attraction São Paulo is a reflection of the good moment Brazil is experiencing on the world stage. The country broke a record for fruit exports in 2023, with a 26% increase in sales compared to 2022, reaching the R$1.2 billion mark, according to Abrafrutas.
In partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex), the fair also featured the International Buyers Programme, which brought together buyers from 33 different countries and held more than a thousand business meetings during the three days of the fair, which should generate sales worth R$1 billion in the next 12 months.
Victor Rodrigues Ferreira, Sebrae’s national agribusiness analyst, assessed the participation of the production chain positively. “Producers experienced this range of opportunities, facilitating new business. We need a space like this in Brazil and this first edition sowed the seeds. I believe that next year, with more time, the number of visitors will increase even more”, he said.
