On May 6, 2025, the 42nd Edition of Macfrut kicked off – the leading trade fair for the fruit, vegetable, and poultry sectors – taking place in Rimini from May 6 to 8, 2025.
As in previous years, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – Maputo Office participated in the event, together with other AICS Field Offices and under the coordination of the AICS Headquarters.
As part of its initiatives, the Maputo Office supported the participation of Mozambican producers (Cooperativa Frutas de Barué, Agro-Pecuária Frutas de Révué, Fundação Micaia, Associação de Produtores do Café do Ibo, Café Vumba), particularly in the dried fruit and coffee sectors, showcasing local excellence in a prominent international context.
On the first day of the fair, a panel titled “Opportunities of the Beira Corridor and the Manica Agro-Processing Centre (CAAM): Sustainability and Innovation for Local Development” was held, organized by the Maputo Office. The session focused on the Beira Corridor and the CAAM, which is an integral part of the Mattei Plan for Africa.
The panel featured the participation of Jaime Chissico, representing Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP); Maurizio Forte, Central Director for Export Sectors at ICE; Renzo Piraccini, President of Macfrut; Fabio Riccio, Deputy Director of FederUnacoma; Chiara Scaraggi, value chain expert at UNIDO; Christian Maretti, President of LegaCoop Agroalimentare; and Zacarias Fole, President of the Barué fruit and vegetable producers’ cooperative.
Through open dialogue and a focus on building strategic partnerships, the panel provided a space for reflection on the possible synergies between sustainability, institutional cooperation, and private sector initiative, with the goal of generating lasting and replicable impacts for Mozambique’s agricultural development.
The session concluded with remarks from AICS Director Marco Rusconi, who emphasized that “The Manica Agro-Processing Centre (CAAM) is one of AICS’s flagship initiatives in Southern Africa.” He added, “As part of the Mattei Plan, CAAM is designed to be a key infrastructure for enhancing national agricultural production and integrating small-scale producers into regional and international markets.”