Gen A opting for grapes above other fruits, showing significant growth potential for the category, Regina di Puglia 2026 hears
Generation Alpha children are actively driving family purchasing decisions, pushing household consumption toward plant-based diets and healthier lifestyles, and creating new opportunities for table grapes.
This was one of the core findings at last week’s Regina di Puglia 2026, which heard how table grapes are becoming increasingly popular among children and young adults – a particularly significant trend, as it sharply contrasts with the broader decline in overall fresh fruit purchasing dynamics, including staples like strawberries and apples.
The event also heard that Italy’s table grape industry is in robust health. Mario Schiano Lomoriello from ISMEA (Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market), revealed that in 2025, Italian table grape export values approached the €1bn mark for the first time in history. This milestone solidifies table grapes in second place among Italy’s top fruit exports, positioning the category just behind apples and ahead of kiwifruit.
Once again, ISMEA’s Market Observatory anchored the final day of an event that year after year reasserts its mission: to promote Apulian table grapes and champion their region of origin.
In 2025, Italy produced 978,000 tonnes of table grapes, of which 44 per cent were destined for export markets, 37 per cent supplied to the domestic market, and 15 per cent went for industrial processing.
On the domestic market, modern retail and traditional channels absorbed 74 per cent of fresh sales (with supermarkets accounting for 72 per cent and traditional retail 28 per cent of this). Imports remained negligible at a mere 2 per cent – a record-low figure among major fresh produce categories, making table grapes the least imported fresh fruit category in Italy. Beyond the strong adoption among younger demographics, ISMEA’s analysis highlighted an increase in heavy-buyer households (purchasing table grapes more than five times per year).
Total cultivated area for table grapes in Italy stands at just under 47,000 ha. In 2025, total export volumes reached 437,000 tonnes, up 16 per cent on 2024, generating a value of €973mn – and increase of 8.5 per cent on the year earlier). Over 90 per cent of exports are destined for European markets, with Germany, France, and Poland remaining the primary export destinations.
The conference also highlighted key strategies to enhance the value of Apulian table grapes within their region of origin. Key proposals included establishing supply agreements with the Horeca and foodservice sectors during the peak summer tourist season (which coincides with the harvest) and tapping into unexplored opportunities in wellness, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals through grape processing—potential avenues explored by specialised industry journalists Laura Maragliano (Sale&Pepe) and Manuela Soressi (Fresh Point Magazine).
Environmental sustainability and climate adaptation were also addressed in collaboration with BASF. Representatives Giuseppe Rosa and Michele Fioretti introduced a joint project with the Municipality of Noicàttaro designed to mitigate heat stress caused by climate volatility. The initiative relies on data collected from three agrometeorological stations strategically deployed across the growing area, aimed at issuing weekly phytosanitary updates to help growers optimise crop management and field agronomy.
In addition to sharing market intelligence, the event served as a major commercial platform, with 150 B2B meetings taking place, featuring international buyers and importers from the Netherlands, Sweden, the Baltic States, Poland, Germany, and the Gulf region’s largest retail operator, LuLu Group, which renewed its participation following commercial contracts signed during previous editions of Regina di Puglia.
Satisfaction with the outcomes and international media exposure was expressed by the Mayor of Noicàttaro, Raimondo Innamorato, who spearheaded the launch of Regina di Puglia four years ago during a severe market crisis. Attending key sessions of the 2026 edition, Mayor Innamorato underscored the strategic value of the initiative and voiced confidence in its long-term continuity ahead of the local municipal elections next spring.
