For the first time ever Vinitaly is hosting a section entirely dedicated to vineyard work. The institutional area of the Ministry of Food Sovereignty, Agriculture and Forestry will host a display of different types of viticulture machines as a demonstration of how much technology is needed in the field to produce high-quality products and excellent wines.
Created by FederUnacoma, the Italian federation of agricultural machinery manufacturers, in a setting that reconstructs the rows of a vineyard, the exhibition shows off the main vehicle types. From specialized tractors to treatment vehicles and grape harvesters, there are 11 types of vehicle on display, documenting the complete mechanization of viticulture with increasingly refined vehicles capable of monitoring the health of crops, carrying out treatments in an eco-friendly manner, and harvesting and transportation while preserving the properties of the fruit intact. Robotics and advanced digital systems also play an integral part in viticultural production – and the Verona exhibition will display three robots for crop protection and maintenance – capable of assessing cultivation needs and intervening autonomously and promptly.
“Italian industry is a world leader in technologies for vineyards and specialized crops – said the President of FederUnacoma, Mariateresa Maschio, – because it has developed in daily contact with wine companies, with the unique demands and traditions of the production territories”. From the Langhe of Piedmont to the Tuscan hills, from the valleys of Veneto and Trentino to the coasts of Apulia and Sicily, the agricultural machinery industry has in fact developed extremely extensive know-how that has caused it to be greatly appreciated in foreign markets as well.
“Today, in every part of the world, quality viticulture is performed using Italian machinery – said the President – and this is a mission that must be promoted and defended at all costs”.
“We are collaborating with the Ministry in numerous initiatives that highlight the role of mechanization in the agri-food supply chains and that also tell the general public about the mechanical vehicles ‘made in Italy’ – said Simona Rapastella, General Director of FederUnacoma. And, after the exhibitions in Syracuse during the G7 Agriculture summit, and in Rome for the anniversary of the treaties that gave rise to the European Union, the exhibition in Verona is a new opportunity to underline the close relationship that exists between mechanical technologies and the quality of the final products”.
“The message we want to convey is that the agro-industrial sector is truly a supply chain – concluded Rapastella – and its strength lies in its ability to present itself in a compact manner and even to contribute to effective sector policies”.
