Press release
The second edition of Fragola Expo Basilicata closed with an outstanding outcome. For two days, Piazza Segni and Piazza Aldo Moro in Policoro became the beating heart of a sector that represents the region’s production excellence, welcoming thousands of visitors from Basilicata and neighboring regions, confirming the event as a national benchmark for innovation in the strawberry sector.
Donato Antonio Sabato, president of the Fragola Expo Basilicata association, outlined the final balance:
“We are proud of the great public response. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the volunteers, associations, offices, institutions and law enforcement agencies: their commitment ensured flawless organization and complete safety. On behalf of the entire Fragola Expo Basilicata Association, we also thank exhibitors, sponsors and media professionals who participated in, experienced and reported on these intense two days.”
Moving on to the sector analysis, Sabato presented the figures confirming Basilicata’s national leadership in terms of quality and volume: “today we celebrate a sector that, in the consolidated 2025 balance, consistently covers 1,200 hectares.” In his speech, the President also emphasized the importance of shared strategies: “the success of Fragola Expo is the result of synergies between companies and associations. As also highlighted during the conference on this topic, planning and aggregation were key to achieving the milestone represented by the Fragola della Basilicata PGI certification. A section was also dedicated to the PDO Economy.
“Certified excellences are the engine of growth,” Sabato explained. He added: “The PDO Economy in Italy is a solid and well-established reality, and Basilicata, with its strawberry, plays a leading role among these excellences.” Finally, Sabato concluded: “as highlighted during the conference, the sector has demonstrated its ability to look to the future with unity of purpose. The Expo bids farewell to Policoro and sets the next appointment for the 2027 edition which, following the principle of rotation, will take place in Scanzano Jonico on April 24 and 25.”
During the conference dedicated to the PGI, speakers included Alberto Albertini, Head of Research and Development at CCPB, Alberto Improda, CEO of Improda Studio, and Eleonora Iacovoni, Director General for Quality Promotion at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry. The mayors of Policoro and Scanzano Jonico, Enrico Bianco and Pasquale Cariello, in their opening remarks, underlined the importance of institutional synergies in achieving ambitious, historically significant goals.
The debate was moderated by Carmelo Mennone (Alsia). Salvatore Pecchia, president of the Promoting Committee for Fragola della Basilicata PGI, commented: “The PGI recognition – obtained in November 2025 after a long process involving producer organizations, institutions and the research community working together – has immediately provided a significant boost to commercialization. As is well known, the formal establishment of the Consortium requires at least one full year of branded commercial activity; however, we are in the final stages, with the first drafts of the statute and articles of association ready to be shared with all stakeholders.”
The Regional Councillor for Agriculture, Carmine Cicala, in his concluding remarks, stated: “Fragola della Basilicata PGI represents quality, work, identity and the ability to work as a system. It is one of the most recognizable expressions of our agriculture and a concrete driver of development for the Metapontino area and for the whole of Basilicata.” The Policoro edition of Fragola Expo Basilicata also featured entertainment moments, including musical performances by ContourBand, a beauty contest held on April 26, and comedian Nello Iorio, who performed on April 25. Dino Paradiso closed the second evening.
