Agriumbria, focus on food and livestock
Agriumbria was the star of this spring's Italian trade fair season. Agricultural vehicles and equipment for all types of work, excellent food and wine products, livestock farms and forestry demo areas were all on display
Inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Francesco Lollobrigida, the 56th Agriumbria event was held from 28 to 31 March, in the UmbriaFiere exhibition center in Bastia Umbra (PG). The agriculture, livestock and food event saw participation by 450 companies for 85,000 visitors, numbers very much in line with the previous year and deemed extremely satisfactory by envet's organizers given the rain of the first two days limited greater attendance by the general public. In his speech on opening day, Minister Lollobrigida pointed to the strength of Agriumbria and its ability to work in synergy with the major trade fairs in the sector with a view to collaboration and development and not competition. As always, zootechnics took center stage at the event, with exhibitions and technical meetings promoted by the Italian Breeders Association (AIA), the Umbria and Marche Breeders Association, the Federation of National Breed and Species Associations, the Breeding Associations belonging to it and the National Sheep Farmer's Association. The protocol between Umbriafiere Spa and AIA, signed in 2022, was renewed, officially establishing Agriumbria's status as a national hub for meat. The results of the Agriumbria Observatory on meat consumption were presented during the event, indicating lower consumption of meat but of higher quality. In 2024, 79 kg of meat per capita was consumed, slightly lower than the previous year, with increasing consumption of white meat and greater consumption in the North West of Italy and in rural areas. The market for plant-based alternatives is growing - worth around EUR 490 million - and has seen a 200% increase in research investments between 2023 and 2024. The study shows that 23% of the Italian population defines itself as flexitarian: consuming less meat without eliminating it from the diet. Among the causes of this trend: high costs, health concerns and environmental impact. The agricultural machinery sector saw all the major brands in each product category on display at Agriumbria, either directly or through dealers. FederUnacoma was present in Bastia with an institutional stand to provide visitors with information on the agromechanics sector and the Association's activities. A press conference was held on the afternoon of March 28 to present Agrilevante 2025 (9-12 October), with the participation of the President and General Director of FederUnacoma, Mariateresa Maschio and Simona Rapastella. Following on this will be a presentation meeting for the event, FutaExpo, the dynamic exhibition event dedicated to forestry machinery and equipment, scheduled in Barberino del Mugello (FI) from 4 to 6 July, organized by Itabia and CNR IBE in collaboration with FederUnacoma. The president of Itabia, Vito Pignatelli, and Raffaele Spinelli, a researcher with CNR IBE were also present. FederUnacoma collaborated with Federacma in the creation and management of the Feder…Azione space that hosted Mech@griJOBS, the initiative that the retailers' association has been sponsoring for many years to train young people in the agromechanical field. The space saw participation by numerous students from various technical and agricultural institutes. The 2025 Antonio Ricci Prize awards were also presented at the event, paying homage to the agronomist-journalist, and long-time communications consultant for Agriumbria, who passed away in 2016. The prize for the press-publishing category was awarded to Nicola Prudente “Tinto”, creator and host of the Rai radio program “Decanter”. For the scholarly thesis category, the award went to Paola Almonte of the University of Teramo. At the end of the event, Stefano Ansideri, president of UmbriaFiere, expressed great satisfaction "for the expressions of esteem and gratitude received, for the qualitative level of the commercial offering and for the importance of the players present".
