Ernesto Seppi has been confirmed as president of Melinda until 2027. The Board of Directors of the Consortium decided unanimously.

Seppi, born in 1966, an agricultural entrepreneur with a degree in economics, was elected president for the first time in January 2022. Today's decision, expressed by the Presidents of the 16 cooperatives of the group on behalf of the 4,000 members, demonstrates the desire to continue, in the name of continuity, the path started in recent years with the aim of strengthening the Trentino fruit and vegetable system through the development of synergies capable of facing the current challenges that involve the entire sector.

“I thank the directors for their decision: it is above all thanks to the climate of cohesion and collaboration in the Board of Directors and, obviously, to the great work of our members, if we have achieved several positive results in these years. The strong sense of unity that distinguishes us is the right premise to face the growing challenges of the sector”, declared Seppi .

There are many priority issues that await the Board of Directors: "among these I would like to mention the issue of the costs that we are forced to sustain, the threat of sweepings and the growth of extreme weather events that put production at risk. Without forgetting the difficulty in finding manpower, wars and distortions of competition on the international market".

Finally, a reflection on the expectations of the local fruit and vegetable world. “We must strengthen the margins of agricultural businesses and commit ourselves to making the quality of life and work in the mountains increasingly attractive for young people. Only in this way can we promote generational continuity in the sector,” concluded Seppi . “As the Apot Melinda La Trentina system, we will work together for the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the sector and to continue to promote that social cohesion that characterizes the cooperative world and our Trentino.”

The Board of Directors in today's meeting also unanimously elected Michele Iob , agricultural entrepreneur (president of the Consorzio Ortofrutticolo del Contà agricultural cooperative society) as vice-president of the Melinda consortium. "I enthusiastically accept this responsibility, there are many challenges that await us, starting tomorrow we will be working together for the Consortium", declares Iob .