Unifrutti doubles Italian land to 670 hectares with Fondaco Nuovo acquisition
The acquisition reinforces Unifrutti’s focus on Europe as a core market.
ITALY – Unifrutti Group has struck a deal to acquire Fondaco Nuovo, a Sicilian producer of blood oranges, more than doubling the company’s total controlled area in Italy to approximately 670 hectares.
The acquisition builds on Unifrutti’s footprint established through a controlling stake in Oranfrizer, another Sicily-based blood orange producer, in 2020.
Located in the foothills of Mount Etna, Fondaco Nuovo covers approximately 400 hectares across two farms and is renowned for producing premium Tarocco blood oranges.
The portfolio comprises early and late Tarocco clones, mandarins, limes, and finger limes. By securing these assets, Unifrutti aims to stabilize its supply chain and ensure year-round availability through its dual-hemisphere production model.
Unifrutti, controlled by the Abu Dhabi government-backed investment fund ADQ, is building an “integrated, production-led platform” to ensure “greater consistency, quality and reliability” for its customers.
The acquisition reinforces Unifrutti’s focus on Europe as a core market. “As one of the largest citrus producers in Europe, Italy is a natural anchor for this programme,” the company stated.
Further, the transaction strengthens Unifrutti’s dual-hemisphere supply model to enable year-round availability and builds a scalable platform to deepen retail relationships in Europe.
In December, Unifrutti expanded its presence in Peru by acquiring table grape supplier Safco. In January 2024, it acquired Verfrut, a Chile-based fruit supplier and exporter, followed by the acquisitions of Peruvian peer Bomarea and AvoAmerica’s local operations.
This acquisition spree demonstrates a clear strategy: consolidate premium production assets in key growing regions across both hemispheres to ensure supply continuity despite seasonal gaps.
Unifrutti’s dual-hemisphere supply model offers significant strategic advantages. With owned production in the Northern Hemisphere (Italy) and the Southern Hemisphere (Peru and Chile), the group can supply premium citrus and grapes to European and Middle Eastern markets year-round.
In addition, premium citrus clones, such as the early and late Tarocco varieties from Fondaco Nuovo, are highly valued by European retailers for their extended seasonal windows and consistent eating quality.
By controlling these proprietary genetics, Unifrutti can offer retail customers exclusive varieties that differentiate their produce departments from competitors. Unifrutti now manages 16,000 hectares and supplies more than 1,000 customers across over 50 countries.
Unifrutti’s integrated model demonstrates how sovereign-backed investment can build resilient, quality-focused supply chains that prioritize long-term reliability over short-term volume. However, the financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
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