Halaesa gets €20 million UniCredit loan to grow avocado farms in Sicily

Società Agricola Halaesa, a benefit corporation based in the Sicilian towns of Palermo, Messina and Siracusa, secured a €20 million financing package led by UniCredit. The loan, arranged with Crédit Agricole Italia, Mediocredito Centrale and BdM Banca, will fund the company’s plan to expand avocado cultivation to roughly 300 hectares, with a longer‑term target of 500 hectares by 2030, using regenerative farming methods.

CEO Francesco Mastrandrea said the operation “represents a positive signal for our company and for the evolution of the Italian agricultural sector,” noting that the funding will support the first organic avocado harvest expected in winter and help Halaesa position itself among Europe’s leading tropical‑fruit producers.