“The fruit and vegetable industry has always been able to adapt. In this business you are used to challenges. They are part of the DNA of the business. For us, Brexit is not a fight to the death, but an inconvenience, like a pothole in a street: you notice it – and go on as before.”

Chris White, Managing Director of the German-British company Fruitnet Media International

In 2018, the United Kingdom imported 6.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables in total, thus ranking second among the largest EU importers in this sector. In terms of vegetables, the UK, which is currently the eighth biggest producer in the EU, is rather more self-sufficient, producing 53 percent itself. The top 3 types of fruit most imported to the UK are avocados, blueberries and figs. Popular vegetables are, above all, peppers, garlic and sweet corn.

The leaves of the Rosa del Veneto unfold like a rose. This radicchio is not as bitter as the common varieties, but just as firm. Due to its mild flavour, it is often eaten as a salad. Chefs in particular like using it in the presentation of dishes because of its unusual colour. They have popularised the pink radicchio beyond the borders of Europe, so that today it is exported as far as Korea.

LA ROSA di Queruli Paolo

Hall 2.2, Stand B-07

Contact: Modestina Queruli

T: +39 0429 784809

info@radicciolarosa.it

The Indian bitter melon belongs to the pumpkin family and lives up to its name: it is very bitter. In many Asian countries it has been popular for centuries and is eaten raw or in curries. It is said to have a healing effect and is used for instance in Ayurvedic medicine. The fruit grows all year round in tropical parts of Asia, South America, Africa and the Caribbean.

Carvexco
Hall 26, Stand E-07
Contact: Serge Budhai
T: +31 (0) 650448779
serge@carvexco.com

Good quality is the number one argument when consumers decide where to shop, as determined by market research institute GfK (Society for Consumer Research). But taste doesn’t always match the external promise. “The industry has focused on meeting trade specifications while neglecting consumers’ needs for too long,” says Jelger de Vriend. The Co-Founder of Innovative Fresh presents the InQuality concept. Launched in Sweden in 2018, it combines supermarket quality control, staff training and management advice. “The aim is to exceed consumers’ quality expectations,” adds de Vriend.

“Revolutionizing fresh produce quality for consumers”

Friday, 8 February 2019

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.

Hall 26

At around 220 kilograms per head, Germany is Europe’s leader in packaging waste. Packaging legislation (VerpackG) has been in force since 1 January 2019. It places an obligation on everyone who circulates filled packaging to take care of its return and disposal. Registration with the new “Lucid” packaging register is necessary to do this. More packaging should be recycled as a result. Kaasten Reh from Fruchthandel Magazin discusses the new law and its significance for the international fruit trade with Massimo Bellotti, international sales manager of the Groupe Guillin and Kim Cheng, managing director of the German Packaging Institute.

“The new packaging law – challenges and solutions”
Friday, 8 February 2019
11.00 a.m. - 12 noon
Halle B/CityCube Berlin

The possibility of a hard Brexit presents significant challenges for the logistics sector. They are the subject of many events in the Logistics Hub on Friday morning. In a presentation, Robert Hardy from Oakland Invicta sets out the risks and solutions of the logistics sector for the shipping business in the fresh produce segment, should a hard Brexit occur. Moderator Alex von Stempel, Managing Director of Freshwater Logistics, digs deep to see if trade flows can be redirected, whether the growing logistics risks can be passed on to shippers in the long run in the form of higher prices, and to what extent Brexit can offer a carte blanche for international smuggling.

“The impact trade disputes on fresh produce logistics”

Friday, 8 February 2019

10:25 - 10:45 a.m.

Hall 26

On the new Start-up Stage, young firms introduce trend-setting solutions for the fruit and vegetable sector. In short, ten-minute presentations, they show how processes along the entire value-added chain can be optimised. The first section is devoted to farm technology and ranges from precision agriculture, through drone-assisted pest control and robot-controlled fruit harvesting, to the use of solar-powered pumps for irrigation. The second section deals with supply chain management, with start-ups revealing how digital technologies can help to ensure the quality of the harvest, guarantee transparency and traceability and optimise transport processes.

Start-up Stage
Friday, 8 February 2019
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Hall 9, Stand B-12/B-13