Today the most eagerly awaited edition of Fruit Attraction bids farewell, the one that has confirmed the return of the most important agricultural fair in Spain and one of the most influential worldwide in terms of the volume of business it generates. The agricultural sector in Almeria and its ancillary industry bid farewell to this great event by showing off its leadership as the main fruit and vegetable exporting province in Andalusia and Spain, and as one of the most modernised, innovative, efficient and environmentally friendly sectors in the world.
For three days, the professionals and the public who visited Pavilion 9 of Ifema, in Madrid, had the opportunity to get to know the innovations of the more than 60 companies from the province of Almeria that participated in this event with their own stand, of which around ten belong to the gourmet brand ‘Sabores Almeria’.
Innovations in the pre-prepared and pre-cooked convenience food range, ready-to-eat frozen products, new forms of presentation and a commitment to the most intense and authentic flavour have made up the credentials of excellence that make the Almerian countryside and the companies of ‘Sabores Almería’ a world reference for the health that is grown and exported from Almeria to the rest of the world.
The president of the Diputación de Almería, Javier A. García, accompanied by the vice-president Ángel Escobar, the deputy for Agri-Food Promotion, María Luisa Cruz and the deputy Antonio J. Rodríguez, have accompanied and supported the companies and farmers during these days of the fair, demonstrating the Diputación’s commitment to the Almeria countryside.
Ángel Escobar has made a very positive assessment of Almeria’s participation in Fruit Attraction stating that “our companies have demonstrated the quality and differential values that place the province of Almeria at the forefront of the sector at an international level. We are the market garden of Europe and an example for other countries to follow due to the quality of our production and the sustainability of the ‘Almeria model’, which is increasingly being imitated and praised by other countries”.
Along these lines, the vice-president explained that “the number of visitors has been in line with the pre-pandemic fairs. The businessmen from Almeria have conveyed to us the good sensations and conclusions that they have taken away from this event. We have to continue working to intensify the union of the sector and to ensure that the Almeria brand continues to grow and is increasingly in demand by the end consumer. The Regional Government will always be at the side of our farmers”.
Infrastructures
On the last day of Fruit Attraction 2021 Escobar recalled some of the actions that the Provincial Council is promoting to improve the competitiveness and promotion of the Almeria countryside. One of these involves a firm commitment to improving rural roads in the 103 municipalities and increasing the conditions of connectivity, comfort and safety for the entry and exit of vehicles transporting the sector’s production.
Another important action lies in the setting up of a pioneering provincial rural hygiene service in collaboration with Hortifruta and the ten town councils in the province where practically all the cultivated hectares in Almeria are concentrated. Without forgetting the continuous renovation and modernisation of infrastructures, especially those related to water.
In this regard, the vice-president explained the different research programmes promoted by the Provincial Council which are producing great results, such as Life Alchemia, for the purification of drinking water, or LIfe Phoenix, for the reuse of waste water for agricultural use, or the firm commitment together with ASEMPAL to raise European funds to promote the investment strategy WATER – RENEWABLE ENERGY and FOOD in the province.
Finally, Escobar confirmed the good moment that the gourmet brand ‘Sabores Almería’ is going through, which has grown exponentially in recent months, among other reasons due to the good functioning of the ‘Diego García’ Host Plan, and has invited all the public, the agricultural sector and hospitality professionals to the imminent celebration of the Salón Gourmets, from 18 to 21 October, in the same setting as Fruit Attraction, with the added attraction that this year Almería will be the protagonist province.