Trade fairs and agriculture

Macfrut kicks off, fruit and vegetables focus on exports but the war costs (for now) 200 million

Sales of Italian fruit and vegetables abroad will rise to 6.6 billion in 2025, but imports are also growing: the trade balance is down by 26% and risks worsening due to the surplus of goods arriving on the EU market because of the blockade of some markets caused by the war in Iran

by Silvia Marzialetti

21 April 2026

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Worsening trade balance
Production down due to climate change and plant diseases
Domestic consumption on the upswing, but new inflation unknown

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The fruit and vegetable supply chain will meet from 21 to 23 April at Macfrut in Rimini, where 800 foreign operators from 80 countries are expected. The Italia sector brings a new record for exports of fresh produce, the value of which - 6.6 billion in 2025 - is growing by 11% compared to 2024 (when it was just over 6 billion), but with the handbrake applied by the crisis in the Middle East, which slows down trade and inflames costs, estimated at the moment by Frutimprese at EUR 200 million between energy and fuel price rises, the application of extraordinary surcharges in maritime transport, critical routes, longer transit times and increased land transport costs.

Trade Balance Worsens

Analysing the 2025 trade balance, in terms of quantity (but not value), we still import more than we export: 4,118,164 tonnes (+7%) for 6.2 billion (+14.9%). The trade balance therefore stands at just over 408,000 (down 26.8% compared to 2024) and at -195,960 tonnes (+7.7% compared to the 2024 balance).

Fresh fruit accounts for the largest share of exports, with 3.6 billion and 2.3 million tonnes (both up by 15 and 13% respectively), followed by tubers, pulses and vegetables (stable at 1.9 billion for 1 million tonnes). However, fruit continues to represent a significant figure in imports as well, with +8.3%, demonstrating that self-sufficiency is also decreasing in our core products.

In terms of exports, the exploit of dried fruit (+24.4% in volume and +35.4% in value) and the reversal of the trend of tropical fruit - a typical product in transit from our ports to the rest of Europe - which, after years of growth, is marking time with -18.1% in volume and -10.2% in value. The export podium is (historically) contested by apples (1.1 billion in value), table grapes (973 million) and kiwis (700 million), categories particularly penalised by the war in the Middle East. Italia is in fact the largest European exporter of fruit and vegetables to the region, with a market share of more than EUR 150 million last year.

'The negative effect of the conflict is amplified,' explains Fruitimprese President Marco Salvi, 'if we consider that the Suez Canal was slowly resuming operation and that we were returning to the Indian and South-East Asian markets.' Also of concern is the surplus coming onto the European market (with consequent price drops) from the Arab countries' historical trading partners, such as Egypt and Turkey, whose exports of apples and citrus fruits are currently on stand-by.

The citrus fruit sector also fears an invasion of product from South Africa, which has long been a major player in the Middle East markets, diverting its cargoes to Europe, coinciding with the arrival of our late varieties on the market. The latest blow after the damage caused by Cyclone Harry, which severely strained the segment.

Production down due to climate change and plant diseases

Despite the good results in terms of exports in 2025, therefore, the path to relaunching the sector is still uphill, also because - in the words of Paolo Bruni (president of Cso) - in ten years, with the same number of hectares, 1.3 million tonnes of production have been lost: this shows how profitability is undermined by climate change and plant diseases. "And then there is the labour emergency," says Salvi, "we are missing 100 thousand people, companies are no longer investing because there is a lack of specialised profiles.

Domestic consumption up, but new inflation unknown

But the (slow) recovery of domestic consumption is also important. Retail purchases of fruit and vegetables by Italian households reach 5.45 million tonnes in 2025, an increase of 5% compared to 2024. This figure marks a reversal of the downturn observed between 2021 and 2023 and represents a significant recovery, although still below 2021 levels (-9%). Total expenditure stands at EUR 13.7 billion, up +7% year-on-year and +15% compared to 2021.

The increase in value is higher than that of volumes, but to a lesser extent than in previous years, signalling a phase of greater balance between quantity dynamics and consumer price trends. "2025 is part of a socio-economic context still characterised by elements of uncertainty, but with signs of progressive stabilisation compared to previous years," comments Elisa Macchi of Cso Italy. Food expenditure continues to represent a significant share of the family budget and, despite the absence of the inflationary peaks of recent years, attention to price remains high: in this scenario, fruit and vegetables are competing not only with other fresh categories, but also with processed products and ready-to-eat solutions, which are increasingly present on the shelves and often perceived as practical and programmable alternatives".

But the ongoing crisis may change the scenarios: the first price increases on the national markets, up to 30%, have already been recorded by the Telematic Commodity Exchange (Bmti) especially for greenhouse vegetables (see Il Sole 24 Ore of 21 April).