Speaking at the Agrilevante exhibition, the Minister of Agriculture emphasized the role of mechanization and the government’s commitment to supporting technological innovation in agriculture through tools such as the Innovation Fund managed by ISMEA.
The second day of Agrilevante, the exhibition of Mediterranean agricultural technologies currently underway at the Bari Fair opened with a visit from Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. The excellent quality of Italian-made machinery and the importance of cooperation with the surrounding countries were highlighted by the Minister, who emphasized the positive results of the Government’s Innovation Fund, which is specifically designed to assist with the purchase of next-generation machinery. The full details of this financial measure were presented yesterday at a special conference. The Fund, it was explained, has already enabled over 3,000 Italian agricultural and agro-mechanical companies to invest in advanced technologies for digital transition and sustainability. This measure—managed by ISMEA under a mandate from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry—represents a concrete opportunity for companies seeking to modernize, as it finances the purchase of next-generation tractors, automated equipment, agricultural robots, drones, monitoring systems, and advanced sensors. Established by the 2023 Budget Law (Article 1, paragraph 428, Law No. 197 of December 29, 2022), the Fund has so far mobilized EUR 300 million, enabling companies to equip themselves with technologies that save on water consumption, optimize fertilizer use, reduce polluting emissions, and introduce artificial intelligence solutions for crop management. These resources will be supplemented by a further EUR 100 million from the Development and Cohesion Fund, which MASAF will make available for the two-year period 2026-2027, bringing the total allocation to EUR 400 million and the number of beneficiary companies to approximately 4,000. Particular attention is given to the South, with EUR 150 million being specifically earmarked. A significant portion of the funding will go to the South and the islands,” explained Livio Proietti, President of ISMEA, “where we are focusing on upgrading agricultural businesses, because there are still many long-time agricultural concerns and many family-run businesses there. We put a lot into innovation,” the President added, “because this also means promoting generational turnover, which is crucial for Southern Italy, where the problem of depopulation in inland areas is particularly acute”. During the meeting, a promotional video by the Fund was also screened to the public and press, granting space for the perspectives of industry professionals, including agricultural machinery manufacturers, represented by Davide Gnesini, head of the FederUnacoma Technical Service.
