Macfrut 2026 to expand berry focus with bigger berry area and new highlights

ITALY – Macfrut 2026 will open at the Rimini Expo Centre from April 21 to April 23 and will broaden its focus on berries with a larger area dedicated to this key segment of fruit production.

The Italian berry market now totals over 621 million euros (about US$671 million) and grew by 15% in 2024, showing strong momentum that organisers want to build on.

More space and stronger programme

Organisers said they expanded the Berry Area this year to offer more room for exhibitors and events. The zone will bring people from the whole berry and strawberry supply chain together to talk about production, research and sales.

Bruno Mezzetti, promoter of the Berry Area and coordinator of the Technical Scientific Committee, said the team shaped the event with input from companies taking part. ”We are currently finalising the programme of events, working closely with key Macfrut stakeholders, in particular the exhibiting companies”, he said.

Mezzetti added that the fair will include a special area about clonal and seed-grown strawberry varieties. ”This is an increasingly important topic in the field of genetic research and in the development of production strategies.”

He said these sessions will help those in the supply chain see how each type of strawberry performs and decide what works best for their farms or businesses. Mezzetti also said talks will look at breeding goals like plant strength and fruit quality, the role of micropropagation in healthy plant production and how artificial intelligence can support growers.

Linking research, production and market

Thomas Drahorad, another promoter of the Berry Area, said this event will continue to link research, production and the market. ”In 2026, the Berry Area once again intends to reaffirm its role as a link between research, production and the market within the berry supply chain,” he said.

Drahorad said the agenda will include conversations about new varieties and about how large retailers and consumers affect berry sales. He noted that leaders at the previous show expected the market to grow at least 10 percent by 2030.

Three days of talks will feature international speakers, sessions about technical topics, and presentations of new berry types. Organisers confirmed that two experiences from 2025 will return.

One will recreate a virtual supermarket where visitors can compare blueberries sold by 20 major retail chains in a large Italian city. The other will let visitors taste and evaluate strawberries and blueberries from breeders around the world.

New features and interactive tools

Macfrut 2026 will also introduce Berry Shop where people can network and taste berry based drinks and snacks. Another new area called Berry Dashboard will let visitors explore market data from 2020 to today.

Attendees will see retail trends, consumption figures and other analytics that show where the berry market stands now.

Organisers said these additions aim to give participants more chances to meet, talk and learn from each other.

With more space and more content, Macfrut hopes to support the growth of the berry sector and help those involved make smarter choices for their businesses in the coming seasons.

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