Historically, the second day of Fruit Attraction in Madrid is the busiest day of the fair, with several exhibitors saying it was also the busiest day ever. Exhibitors were happy that the Dutch and Belgian pavilion moved to hall 6, but of course, it was no competition with the home team: the Spanish pavilion was indeed the busiest. Today is the last day of the fair, and people start feeling the infamous trade show fatigue we all know very well.
Anne-Sophie Marchais and Pierre Moulin form Richel Group
Spanish exhibitors were happy with the good quality of their visitors, and others even claimed that they will probably not exhibit at Fruit Logistica in Berlin next year because Fruit Attraction is becoming increasingly important and interesting in this space. Only exhibitors in the new Hall 1 said they saw less traffic, while other halls were busier, but the number of visitors seemed to decrease in the last hour.
The team of Roam Technology
The team of Novagric
Despite the overall positive atmosphere on the show floor, it's clear that the industry is laser-focused on the current challenges every grower is facing every day. For instance, people have mentioned the rising oil prices, which they claim are as expensive as ever before. Ironically enough, labor doesn't seem to be one of the main issues, as Spain-based companies are more focused on dealing with water shortages while keeping prices affordable.
Boris, Teodora, and Nikolaus from the Bulgarian Greenhouse Growers Association
Another quite annoying and tricky challenge is represented by the tomato rugose virus. Spanish growers haven't been spared by it, and people at the show have said that it has become a problem they need to live with. It's true that there are somewhat resistant varieties coming online, however there's still some way to go.