Eurofresh Magazine number 161

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The international Distribution Magazine for Fresh Produce and Retail

MARKETS Where the EU’s opportunities lie in fast-moving China

SUMMER FRUIT

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Diverse fortunes for apricots & melons in Europe

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retail is doing in Europe

PEPPER Global demand is booming, & the UK still showing the way

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www.eurofresh-distribution.com

AECOC CONGRESS June 4-5th, Valencia LONDON PRODUCE SHOW June 5-6th, London CONGRESO FRUTOS ROJOS June 19-20th, Huelva FRUIT EXPO May 27-29th Guangzhou

INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOW FOR THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

October 23rd

ORGANISED BY

From 3 to 6 pm. Fruit Forum 6 - Hall 6

www.biofruitcongress.com

22-24 OCT. 2019 MADRID - SPAIN

The second International Congress on organic fruits and vegetables ORGANIC RETAIL · SPECIALTY CHAINS · DISCOUNT STORES · E-COMERCE

Visit the Fruit Attraction ecorganic market at hall 6 fruitattraction.com IFEMA, Feria de Madrid (+34) 91 722 30 00 fruitattraction@ifema.es

#FruitAttraction19

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EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION May/June 2019

SUMMARY

n°161

How much further can the discounters grow?

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he rise of the discounters in Europe has made the dogfight for differentiation even fiercer. These days, almost all supermarkets want to be the best in fresh and now the discounters have upped the ante – not only offering value for money but much more ample assortments of fruit and vegetables. Less is more has been one of the pillars of success for discounters like Aldi and Lidl. Limiting their SKUs has helped streamline their operations, particularly in logistics Yet, the number of fresh produce lines offered by them has grown quickly in the last few years, making them even more popular. But how much further can they grow while keeping their edge in efficiency? At the end of the day, the discounters, by definition, still need the lure of low prices. »»Pierre Escodo, editor

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SARL Publications Agricoles 51, rue Camus - BP 20131 - 47004 AGEN - FRANCE Tel. France +33 553 778 367 - Tel. Spain +34 661 324 134 Fax France +33 553 778 371- Fax Spain +34 935 005 254 pierre@eurofresh-distribution.com www.eurofresh-distribution.com Frequency: Bimestral/Bi-monthly Managing Director : Jean-Bernard Pouey / Maude Le Corre Editor : Pierre Escodo Reporters : Montse Palau, Véronique Bargain, Natalya Bammatova, Maria del mar Valenzuela.

Journalists: Belen Barbini, Guy Dubon, Julie Marie Butler, Maude Le Corre, Adrien Lasnier, Richard Wilkinson Distribution Translation : Richard Wilkinson, Sandra Mc Lean Collaborators: Anove, Asonal, Almendrave, BPC, AFRUCAT, Europatat, FEPEX, FIWAP, HPP, VLAM, Carmen Rosell, Freshfel Europe, Mediterranean Exporters Union, APEFEL, CSO, Intercitrus, Antalya Exporters union, Eucofel.

Correspondents: -Netherlands: Martine van der Wekken, Franck Tel -Belgium: Luc Hellebuck -Chile: Fernando Valenzuela, -China: Gina Zhou, Cheng Yang, Becky Liu and Jenny Jiang -France: Guy Dubon, Maude Le Corre, Adrien Lasnier -Italy: Gabriele Orsi -Argentina: Nadia Vinticinque -Poland: Tomas Kodlunbanski Distribution -Russia: Natalya Bammatova -Spain: Montse Palau, Inma Fernandez, Nicolas Garcia -Singapore: Jeff Chua -Portugal : Nelia Silva -UAE: Michael Muller -UK: Miguel Flavian -Germany: Mariia Servetnyk Subscription : Rania Bouteumera 1 year : 59 € - 2 years : 110 € Administration : Maryline Besoli Advertising: Pierre Escodo (+33 761 541 522), Maria del Mar Valenzuela Mailing: Sud Mailing F47520 Printer/impresor : EvoluPrint F31150 Bruguières RCS Agen n° 83 B 43 - Siret : B 327 045 605 000 34 Dépôt légal 2nd trimestre 2019 - ISSN 2109-3784 The signed articles are the responsability of their authors. The advertising texts and advertisements are the responsability of their authors.

Reproduction prohibited without previous authorisation. ©Cover: Fotolia/VadimGuzhva

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Tropical Fruit Congress old and new trends...............6 Macfrut more international........................................8 US$34.5 million generated at ProColombia............10 The «super fruits» take centre stage at Medfel.........12 Agroalimentaria: the Caribbean platform.................13 Over 1,400 exhibitors and visitors at Indusfood.......14 Hong Kong hosts Asia Fruit Logistica Sept 4-6.......17 Fruit Expo back in Guangzhou ...............................17 India, Singapore guest Importers at Fruit Attraction.18 AECOC congress to canvass top F&V trends..........18

RETAIL 18 Coop Switzerland’s latest improvements in fresh.....22 How discount retail is doing in Europe.....................24 Getting Swedes to link stone fruit and summer........25 Auchan Italy changing consumers’ lives with quality fruit & veg .............................................26 Bashkir Trade Association defends the rights of small regional retailers.............27

MARKETS 22 Snapshot of the fruit & veg trade in Europe.............28 What opportunities for the EU sector in fast-changing Chinese market?...........................30 United Kingdom: a promising market for organic produce?..............................................32

LOGISTICS 28 DP World, invests over US$250 million in the Dominican Republic......................................35

EU ranks second largest market for organics..........36

SPECIAL REPORT 36 » Africa Climate change: challenge or opportunity for Africa?........................................38

BANANA 42 CORPEI promotes Ecuadorian production.............40 Panama Exporta arrives in Europe to stay...............41 Russia, a promising and challenging market...........41

PRODUCE 44 • MELON Brazil aims to ship more melons to China................42 Strong growth in demand for imported melon in Europe................................................................43 • STONE FRUIT Europe: Diverse fortunes for apricot production......46 High volumes and low prices for the 2019 Italian apricot season..............................................47 Price rises bite into UK market................................48 • TOMATO/PEPPER A booming global pepper market............................50 UK tomato market now worth nearly £800m...........52 Italy’s organic tomato industry on the rise................56 • TROPICAL Global pineapple market expands 5%....................58 Global persimmon crop nears 6 million mark...........60 Turkey’s pomegranate exports surge 20% .............60 68 million boxes of Mexican mango for 2019...........62

TECHNOLOGY 64

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Danish tech company Too Good To Go has found a way to save surplus food otherwise destined for the bin. The app allows consumers to buy unsold but still perfectly edible food from local restaurants, cafes and bakeries at reduced prices and helps businesses avoid wasting food. Launched in 2016, it is now used in 10 countries including the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Spain, and has saved over 11.6 million meals. Too Good To Go CEO Mette Lykke, who was a co-founder of social fitness community Endomondo, says her team of over 200 talented Waste Warriors aims to inspire and empower everyone to cut food waste.

»»Printing on fruits and vegetables Kellermeister Manns offers a process for printing a text or an image (QR code...) on fruits and vegetables of all shapes, even rounded. The fruits and vegetables are individually printed at a rate of 150 000/h with a neutral tasting and water resistant food colouring. Different colours can be used for a very good contrast.

»» April 24, 2019: China granted market access to Chilean fresh pears »» €92b: value of the world’s organic food & drink market in 2017 »» 5%: expansion in global pineapple exports over 2014-18 »» June 27-29: Fruit Expo takes place at Guangzhou’s China Import & Export Fair Complex »» #1 melon grower: China, followed

by India & Brazil »» 10.1m ha: area under fruit production in 2016 in India, the world’s fruit basket »» 2x: Number of exhibitors & visitors at Macfrut this year »» 2.16m tons: worldwide melon imports in 2018

»» For the latest forecasts & figures, follow us on Twitter @EUROFRESHD

»»Ready to make your salads more exciting?

This new product promises to add crunch without “the empty calories of a traditional crouton.” Plant-based and gluten-free, and billed as a wholesome and healthier option, Martin’s Saladitions are ideal toppers for salads, soups and “pretty much anything you’d like.” The Crunchy Harvest Mix is made of dehydrated apple, sweet potato, beets, onion flakes and pumpkin seeds. There is also a Zesty Fruit Medley which has cranberries and cherries, and a Citrus Pepper Blend. The line, from Ontario-based Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, was part of the New Product Showcase at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) show held in April in Montreal.

»»Brio offers soups, salads and new pineapple

Brio is a Verona-based company specialising in the production of organic fruit and vegetables. This year, the firm will launch two new fresh soups made with organic raw materials and sold in two-serving packs. Brio also presents a new salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella made from «LATTE FIENO STG», which is milk produced by cows not fed with fermented fodder or GMO feed. The salad is made with a mix of green and red lettuce, rocket and cherry tomatoes, enriched with small mozzarella made from hay milk.

»»Box scheme rescues ‘ugly’ F&V Also tackling food waste is Oddbox, London’s first wonky fruit and veg box subscription scheme. It buys misshapen and surplus produce from farmers, packhouses and growers – paying “a fair price” – and delivers it to over 5,000 homes and businesses, including WeWork. When co-founders Deepak Ravindran and Emilie Vanpoperinghe tried an ugly tomato that tasted great while in Portugal, they wondered why produce back in the UK often looked nicer than it tasted. Oddbox is the result of their vision of taking fresh, healthy produce unwanted by retailers and finding an outlet for it. Oddbox has now delivered 100,000 boxes, rescuing 600,000 kg of perfectly edible food.

»»Lavender part of planet-friendly produce project With consumers increasingly interested in the backstory of produce they eat and demanding more sustainable farming, one sweet-smelling solution being tried in Spanish olive groves to reduce soil erosion is using lavender as a complementary crop. As part of the Diverfarming crop diversification project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, the lavandin variety Grosso has been planted in the alleys that separate the rows of trees.

It’s believed this will help reduce soil loss due to runoff while the aromatic plant attracts auxiliary fauna and thus also boost biodiversity. A separate case study in Holland found that diversification in maize with beans promoted a higher protein content in the harvest.

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Tropical Fruit Congress old and new trends At the latest edition of Macfrut in Italy, the first tropical fruit summit was held in Europe: the Tropical Fruit Congress.

In the three days of the expo, various speakers spoke of the history of tropical fruits, new technologies and new marketing strategies for making products more attractive and overcoming the challenges faced by the sector.

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resident of the expo, Renzo Piraccini, explained the decision to focus on exotic fruit during a fair of such importance for fruit and vegetables: «We realised that in Europe, there is no meeting point for those working in the tropical sector. So, we wanted to create an event at which we can meet and offer information about the innovations in the tropical field because, as Daria Lodi (agrotechnician at CSO Italy) said, the exotics market, despite increasing in importance, is still considered minor in terms of distribution in Europe.

STRONG BONDS BETWEEN LIME AND SMALL FARMERS Mexico is one of the largest exporters of lime in the world. Andrea Schindler, leader of Don Limon, tells us not only how Mexico has come to be a leader in the production and export of the fruit, but also about the mentality of the small farmers who drive the sector.

Mexico exports to Europe from May to December, and to the US all year around. The country exports 20

Consumption trends

tons per week to the US and about 50-70 containers to Europe from June to November. In Europe, the biggest consumers of lime are the UK and Germany.

Around 95% of Mexico’s lime production is conducted by small farmers who do not want to depend on large chains. These farmers send their fruit to packing houses. Small producers often lack the space to produce everything they need. “The mentality of the Mexicans is difficult to understand for us,” said Schindler. «The farmers are very proud but also very wary. Being a very competitive market, they are even afraid to give out their phone numbers for fear of being kidnapped.” It is not easy to be a small lime producer because the fruit is so delicate and needs daily checks to maintain high quality levels. Still, Mexico’s farmers are very proud of their fruit and identify themselves with what their profession, which is now part of their culture.

What is the situation regarding the consumption of tropical fruit and vegetables? This was discussed on the opening day of the second edition of the Tropical Fruit Congress. According to data provided by CSO on consumption in the European Union, from 2013 to 2017, the consumption of pineapples, limes, papayas and passion fruits exceeded 7 million tons - in 2018 alone it grew by 16%, to surpass the 8 million ton mark. From 2009 to 2018, the countries that purchased the most exotic fruit were the UK (+27% compared to 2009), Germany (+19% compared to 2009) and Italy (+25% compared to 2009), followed by France (+73% compared to 2009) and Poland (+53% compared to 2009). Based on 2018 consumption data, bananas are the most purchased exotic fruit (71%), followed by pineapples (11%), avocados (6%), mangoes (4%) and plantains (3%). When combined, these types of highly appealing fruits are not to be underestimated, with consumers very keen to taste them.

PINEAPPLE: GROWTH AND INNOVATION The global pineapple market has a twenty-year history, and grew by over 5% between 2014 and 2018.

Competition is stiff between varieties of tropical fruits and consumers have recently begun to shift away from pineapple to berries and the new tropical fruits appearing on the market. The problem with pineapple is that it is a difficult fruit to eat. This is why it is now being sold pre-cut in plastic trays. According to market surveys, this has proved to be an effective solution: many people prefer to buy the cut and packaged product because of its attractive packaging and because of its convenience. Elderly people especially prefer this kind of product.

This is obviously good news for the companies that manufacture and produce this type of product.

However, from 2020, disposable plastic will be banned in Europe. So, while one part of the population is

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the super fruit that drives the Brazilian euro reshPapaya: economy euro resh

demanding ready-to-be-consumed fruit, there is also a growing sensitivity towards the environment and an intolerance of wasteful uses of plastic. Therefore, it will Dist ribu tionAlthough Papaya exbe necessary to find new solutions to make this fruit Dist ribu tion ports only began in the more sellable which requires neither peeling nor an 1980s, Brazil is now excessive amount of plastic. the world’s second largest papaya produTHE SPOTLIGHT TURNS TO cer after India and the PINEAPPLES ON DAY 2 second exporter after Mexico. Nevertheless, The second day of the Tropical Fruit Congress opeonly 3% of Brazil’s ned with a focus on pineapple. “The pineapple is the papaya ends up in second most important tropical fruit after the banaDist ribu tion the US and European Dist ribu tion na,” Pierre Escodo of Eurofresh Distribution began. markets due to the In 2018, 50% of world pineapple exports were from very strong domestic Costa Rica (8 million tons), with the Philippines in semarket and also to cond place in the export rankings. The biggest imporlogistical problems related to how papaya is exported. There are three exported species: Sunrise Solo, Golden and ters are the US, while the largest European market is Formosa - the favourite in Europe. Some hybrid species, such as Calimosa and Vitoria, are also the Netherlands, which received 318,000 tons, 77% going strong in the international markets. The hybrid papaya has taken off because international of which was re-exported. The third largest buyer markets are increasingly looking for the perfect fruit. market is China (185,000 tons); but Russia is making However, recent weather issues and the Mosaic virus, which affected some Brazilian plantations in a comeback, with imports growing by 16% last year.

2016, led to a loss of many fruits. Excess heat ruins the fruit’s skin, making the fruit less attractive.

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HOW IS THE MARKET CHANGING? “The time has come,” Escodo said, “to support this market’s long-term growth by focusing on new varieties such as baby pineapple, being aware of the new players entering the market, such as China, Ecuador and Africa, and simplifying the product consumption process and the fresh fruit segment. If, and only if, these factors are combined, there is vast growth potential for pineapple in the medium-term future.”

Quality, effective logistics, traceability, nutrition education, eco-sustainability and responsiveness to consumer trends are the directions in which international tropical fruit growers are moving Upala Agricola of Costa Rica said, “In Costa Rica, pineapples shipped to the United States account for 35% of agricultural exports, followed by Europe and, very slowly, also by the Chinese market. If we want to expand in the future, we have to keep improving our product, to achieve larger sales volumes, as well as resolving our logistics problems with Asia and the Middle East. Without a doubt, the new challenges to be borne in mind also include the adoption of organic growing methods.”

THE PHILIPPINE SUCCESS STORY S&W Fine food International, from the Philippines, has won the islands their place as the world’s second biggest pineapple producer: “Aware of the

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Nevertheless, Brazil hasn’t given up. The papaya trade is now part of the country’s culture and employs around 38,000 people in rural areas.

latest consumer demands, three years ago, we were already starting to sell pineapple cut into slices, or on sticks and frozen - a revolutionary product that retains the distinctive sweet flavour and the same nutritional properties as the fresh fruit.”

Italian company Dole, which launched the ‘Dole Earth’ online platform a few years ago, aims for greater quality and transparency: “Through our website, we set out to empower consumers, who can type in the five-figure code they find on the fruit itself to identity the specific plantation where the pineapple was grown. We also believe strongly in nutrition education for consumers and support for a correct lifestyle, so we have developed our ‘100% natural snacking’ messages, which identify pineapple as the perfect snack for eating at any time of day.”

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THE KEY

Fresh products producer Robinson Fresh provided an overview of general market trends: “World pineapple output is growing, but consumption habits are changing: in general, demand for ready-to-eat product is on the increase, and the market has to adapt with creativity and new packaging solutions.

In some countries, this mechanism is already up and running: for example, in the United States, 54% of consumers are willing to pay more for a product that is ready to eat.”

The view from Italy was provided by Alessandro Dal Bello, Vice President of Sife, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler whose core business is the distribution of bananas and pineapples from Costa Rica: “Instead of concentrating on price, to increase pineapple sales, we need to put our energies into product transformation, not forgetting the sustainability of the packaging used. Any policy we adopt must be independent of the strateThere are two types of passion fruit: yellow and purple.

The yellow one has unknown origins, perhaps from gies of the major chains: this is essential if Australia, and is destined for the processing industry, earnings are to be shared throughout the while the purple one, originating in Brazil, has a sweesupply chain.” ter taste and is to be found on supermarket shelves.

Confirmation of the new pineapple The fruit is difficult to grow since it requires special cliconsumption trends also came from world mates, specific irrigation, and pollination only through market survey leader Kantar: “In line with the carpenter bees. Nevertheless, the fruit is becoming tendency to prefer products that are easier to increasingly popular in the international market and is destined to become one of the most exported tropical use, ready-to-eat pineapple is one of the top fruits in the world. alternatives to conventional snacks.”

Two types of passion fruit

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Macfrut more international Macfrut 2019, celebrates success with Tropical Fruit Congress and ties with Africa

he 2019 edition of Macfrut was a great success, taking place from 8 to 10 May at the Rimini Fair. This year’s event saw take centrestage not only in the Italian fruit and vegetables sector, but also in the world of tropical fruits, thanks to its strong links with the key players from Africa and Latin America. The Tropical Forum serves as a bridge to link Italy (the southern gateway to Europe) and the rest of the world. And Macfrut's internationalisation is ongoing: on Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 of May, a delegation of 25 African companies from Ethiopia, Mozambique and Uganda visited a series of companies in the Romagna fruit and vegetable sector: in the Cesena area (Apofruit, Daniele Brunelli and Orogel), in Rimini (Mercato ortofrutticolo), and in Ravenna (Ninfa a Standiana). The initiative was part of the Lab Innova project promoted by the Ice Agency in collaboration with the AICS Agency, in which Macfrut and other partners aimed to develop partnerships between EU and African companies, focusing on managerial training, innovation and technology transfer in the agricultural sector.

Indeed, ‘Italy-Africa: a renewed partnership for horticultural and agro-industrial development’ was the theme of the meeting that brought together ministers and representatives of the African agricultural world along with Italian institutions that deal with cooperation and development on the continent. Opening the

meeting was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Emanuela Del Re who highlighted Italy's efforts to develop local skills through training, technology, the introduction of food safety criteria, and the transfer of interconnection models of agricultural supply chains.

But it was not only the special Italy-Africa relationship that animated Macfrut 2019: next year, the International Strawberry Symposium will return to Italy after 32 years. Since 1988, when the first International Strawberry Symposium was held in Cesena, the event has always been organised outside Italy. To mark its return to Italy, the Symposium will include a series of itinerant events, with field visits, from Basilicata to northern Italy, and a conference in Romagna.

Another central topic was the fruit registry, an indispensable tool for the sector in terms of planning and political orientation. Inserting a measure into the 2018 Budget, the Italian Government ordered the investment of €5 million (€2 million for 2019 and €3 million

for 2020) to implement data retrieval, entrusted to AGEA, which will create lean, dynamic, public and well-functioning interface software. Lastly, the main event of the Tropical Fruit Congress, now in its second edition, was to take stock of the situation regarding the consumption of tropical fruit and vegetables in the European Union.

According to Daria Lodi (Cso Italy), from 2013 to 2017, consumption of pineapple, lime, papaya and passion fruit grew by 7 million tons, while, in 2018 alone, there was 16% growth, with volumes surpassing 8 million tons.

From 2009 to 2018, the countries that bought the most exotic fruit were the United Kingdom (+27% compared to 2009), Germany (+19% vs. 2009), and Italy (+25% vs. 2009). These were followed by France (+73% vs. 2009) and Poland (+53% vs. 2009).

According to exotic fruit consumption data for 2018, banana accounted for 71% of the total volumes, followed by pineapple (11%), avocado (6%), mango (4%) and plantain (3%). In Italy, in 2018, the domestic consumption of tropical fruit represented 12% of all fruit consumed: for the most part, Italians preferred to buy bananas (77%), pineapples (16%), mango (1%) and other fruits (6%). These species, which often have a low impact on the market when considered individually, have a considerable impact when taken collectively. Italians find these fruits very appealing and are very keen to try them.

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traditional potatoes and onions

For over 120 years, Antonio Ruggiero has been dedicated to producing, processing and selling quality potatoes and onions in areas such as Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo and Lazio. According to marketing and communication manager, Valentina Deserti, the firm’s innovation lies in the study of innovative packaging.

Indeed, the company uses the most sustainable materials possible, which can be easily disposed of.

Antonio Ruggiero is developing many new projects, including the building of new hi-tech factories that will be able to incorporate new potato production lines.

Thanks to these new systems, potatoes and onions will be treated and processed as if they were fruits, i.e. with more care.

invests in edible flow ers TerrAmore is a cooperative of producers that specialises in the cultivation of fruit and vegetable products, particularly clove and cut salads (or baby-leaf). However, a few months ago, the firm invested in producing edible flowers, since, as its president Carmine Papace explained, demand is strong from the market and from restaurants and bistros. TerrAmore has also invested heavily in organic products, with this market now accounting for 25% of turnover. «We started with a small company in 2010 and within ten years we have reached 25% of turnover in organics. Our forecast is to reach 50% within another five years,” said Papace.

presents new pineapple variety Verona-based company, Brio, has introduced the pan di zucchero pineapple - a new smaller-sized variety of pineapple, weighing about 1 kilo. This production is part of a fair trade project that involves about 3,000 farmers, most of whom are African women. “The pan di zucchero pineapple is a distinctly sweet variety, because it is picked when it is already ripe and transported by plane. Unlike with normal pineapple, the central part of the fruit is edible,” said Luca Zocca, the company’s marketing and communications manager. In 2014, Brío, in collaboration with Alegra Group, Agrintesa and Apo Conerpo, formed a joint venture with Alce Nero and La Linea Verde to strengthen its organic range of Italian products for retail stores (fruit & veg, soups, salads, juices).

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»»Campidanese presents Corallo melon

The new green melon presented by Campidanese was winner of the Gold Medal at the Macfrut 2019 Innovation Awards. Tested by the Sardinian company since 2017, it entered the market this year with a broad promotion plan. With a small size of between 1.5 and 2.5 kg, it has a special taste, halfway between a Chelanté and a Piel de Sapo, and high Brix content, ranging from 14 to 18 degrees. Ripening in mid-June (slightly later than other varieties), its production calendar extends until November.

»»L’Ortolano

launches the SAT18113F1 off-season aubergine

»»ILIP

presents Soft Fruit Protector concept pack

L’Ortolano, a Romagna-based vegetables specialist, won the Bronze Medal at the Macfrut 2019 Innovation Awards, with its new SAT 18113F1 aubergine. It is a hybrid conceived to operate in the winter conditions of the counter-season, when the hours of light are few and the temperatures are low. It is seedless, with very few thorns, and has an intense, dark colour. The aubergine is suitable for winter cultivation, even in unheated tunnels, and in less ideal areas. The vigorous plant is particularly fertile and has white and firm flesh.

The SFP (Soft Fruit Protector) is the new concept pack for which ILIP was awarded Gold Medal at the Macfrut 2019 Innovation Awards. The new packaging model has a base capable of compensating for and amortising any vibrations and shocks during transport. It is made using 100% completely recycled R-PET, to replace the old materials of polystyrene and expanded polystyrene and ensure 100% product sustainability.

Originally conceived for extremely delicate fruits such as persimmon, the SFP is also well adapted to other types of product such as peaches, apricots, plums, pears, tomatoes, and other kinds of fruit and vegetables vulnerable to shocks.

»»AgriCoat NatureSeal’s tasty apples

AgriCoat NatureSeal won Bronze Medal at the Macfrut 2019 Innovation Awards with its new line of flavoursome apples. Designed for the large-scale retail trade and fast food industry, these new flavoured snack apples retain their colour and crunchiness, and offer natural tastes such as strawberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, lime, passionflower, caramel, elderberry, toffee and chewing gum. Flavoured apples appeal to kids and adults, allowing them to have fun discovering new aromas. AgriCoat NatureSeal products are distributed in Italy by Gitre srl of Padua.

»»Turatti

presents Vortex 150 Automatic Centrifuge The Turatti Group celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding with yet another success: the Gold Medal at the Macfrut 2019 Innovation Awards for its Vortex 150 model. Presented to the European market during the recent edition of Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Turatti has obtained two patents for the centrifuge to guarantee the originality of the concept. The Vortex 150 allows performance levels that cannot be reached by traditional configurations, which lack basket fins, and features a design that allows maximum accessibility to facilitate cleaning. The Vortex 150 already supports numerous plants in the North American market, as well as several installations in the European market, particularly in Italy. In the land of baby leaves, Turatti’s Vortex 150 is the definitive solution for gently drying large quantities of delicate products.

»»Filnova innovates with Biotelo

Filnova presents Biotelo, the first biodegradable mulch film.

«Biotelo is the future because plastic is now a problem,» said Angelo Talia, company consultant. When Biotelo is milled in the soil at the end of cultivation, the microorganisms transform it into water, carbon dioxide and biomass. All of this is to prevent fungal diseases and improve the absorption of fertilisers in the soil. In addition, Biotelo is a zero-residue product. Filnova’s work is based on knowledge and experience in the field of biotechnology applied to agriculture. The company conducts in-depth studies of the natural processes that are the basis of life, especially plant and micro-organisms, and uses its knowledge to offer the world of agriculture effective and sustainable solutions.

»»Agrimola

a more sustainable cooperative The Agrimola cooperative considers that taking care of the environment comes first. That´s why the firm’s warehouses are powered exclusively by solar energy. Purified fresh water that comes directly from a well is used to wash fruit. For over two decades, Agrimola has been a European leader, providing a wide range of high-quality fresh and frozen organic fruit to a large customer base.

»»Aglio Piacentino Coop

develops a new way to fight fungi and bacteria Aglio Piacentino has found an innovative method for avoiding the use of anti-sprouting or pesticides on garlic, onion and shallots. The products are treated with ‘antagonist products’, so the harmful fungi and bacteria are fought with other fungi and bacteria, but ones that are good for cultivation.

This innovation could render superfluous the use of chemical agents on the products that arrive on our tables. Company president, Francesco Rastelli, said. «We aim for the highest quality, and to make this happen, the cooperative has invested heavily in research.” The cooperative was founded by several farms in the province of Piacenza and operates to safeguard and improve the production of the local variety of A White Piacentino Glycos.

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Ivan Duque, Presidente de Colombia

US$34.5 million generated at ProColombia Bicentennial Macrorrueda During the trade meeting, international buyers expressed confidence in Colombian businesses and in the country. With more than 10,000 appointments, ProColombia achieved effective business contacts that could exceed US$400 million, 28% more than in 2018

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he Bicentennial of Colombia was a series of activities organised to celebrate the 200th anniversary of independence from Spain. The Macrorrueda Bicentenario, the commercial meeting of ProColombia and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, held from April 3 to 5, brought together more than 3,000 entrepreneurs in Corferias, Bogotá. During these three days, ProColombia attracted demand from more than 50 countries for Colombian regional offer which is committed to internationalisation. With more than 10,000 business appointments, the event achieved effective business contacts that could exceed US$400 million, an increase of 28% compared to 2018. This value includes US$34.5 million in business carried out during the two days of the event. «We know that if we continue working as a team with the entrepreneurs in a concerted manner, following up on and fulfilling all of our commitments, we will be able to turn these enormous possibilities into sales abroad,» said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

Opening the event, President of Colombia, Iván Duque, said, «Relations between countries are

increasingly being strengthened through dialogue, understanding and meeting points in value chains among entrepreneurs. Today, Colombian businesses meet with their counterparts from other countries.

They will sit at work tables, talk about their products, their innovations, their trends, their productive capacity. And from this, they are sure to develop business relationships that we hope will last for years.»

The largest delegation was from the US, with 172 buyers, followed by Central America and the Caribbean, with 127, Europe, with 91, Mexico, with 68, Peru, with 66, Asia, with 65, Canada, with 53, Bolivia, with 52 and Africa, with 13. There were also buyers for the first time from countries such as Bahamas, Uganda, Senegal and Sint Maarten. As for European buyers, there was the presence of Eurogroup Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of the REWE Group, responsible for purchases of fresh fruits for REWE, Germany’s second largest supermarket chain, with more than 3,000 outlets throughout the country. It was the first time the firm had been in Colombia looking for direct suppliers of exotic fruits.

Also present was Mercadona, the leading physical and online supermarket in Spain, based in Valencia.

and services and exceed the threshold of US$50 billion in total exports,» said Duque. In 2018, exports of agrifood reached US$7.23 billion. Almost 50% of this was from the agricultural sector, particularly from tropical and exotic fruits, such as avocado, which has seen strong growth. The main destination for Colombia’s agricultural exports is the US, with exports worth US$1.24 billion, followed by Belgium, Germany, the UK, Japan, Canada, and 16 other markets.

COLOMBIAN FOOD, AN ORIGIN THAT EXCITES

«In the last 10 years, exotic and tropical fruits, such as avocado or pineapple, have filled the supermarket shelves of Europe and the Americas. But we urgently need to modernise the field and accelerate sowing, because we have to feed the world, and that requires direct foreign investment. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, Colombia is one of the seven countries in the world with the agricultural potential to meet the demand for food, which is expected to increase by at least 50% by 2030. At this point in time, there are more than 32 million cultivable hectares, of which only 7 million are currently being used for agriculture,» said Flavia Santoro.

‘Colombian food, an origin that thrills’ is the slogan of EXOTIC AND TROPICAL FRUITS DRIVE a promotion campaign carried out by ProColombia, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, the MiGROWTH IN AGRICULTURE It is no secret that Colombia has been experien- nistry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and the cing outstanding economic Productive Transformation Programme. Part of growth. The forecast for this «Macrorrueda Bicentenario is a what makes Colombia’s year exceeds 3 or 3.4%, promotional activity that is part of agricultural sector spewith agriculture playing a our commercial policy to facilitate very important role, not only trade and take advantage of current cial are its volcanic soils, in the generation of foreign commercial agreements. More than expert human capital in rural areas that care for exchange through exports, 60% of international buyers came but also for the generation from countries with which Colombia natural resources, and has a commercial agreement,» said its lack of seasons, which of work. «We want to reach José Manuel Restrepo, Minister of facilitates harvesting 365 US$27 billion of exports of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. days a year. non-mining energy goods

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The «super fruits» take centre stage at Medfel The French industry event has put the «super fruits», kaki, pomegranate, kiwi & blueberry in the spotlight.

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he eleventh edition of the Medfel in Perpignan brought together more than 6 000 visitors during the three days of the show, from 24 to 26 April. About a hundred VIP buyers of 44 different nationalities were present. These buyers came to meet the 200 exhibitors generating 3 500 business to business appointments. The consumption of kaki,

pomegranate, Kiwi and blueberry has become trendy, on the rise due to the benefits attributed to them. But these four products have very different statuses, as was expressed by the speakers at a round table dedicated to them. The best known of the «super fruits», the Kiwi, is the sixth most consumed fruit in France.

«Since the 1970s, we have gone from 0 to 80 000 tons consumed,» says Adeline Gachein, Director of the Inter-professional Kiwi Bureau (BIK).

THE KAKI, EASY TO CONSUME According to the leader Anecoop, it is on the horizon that Spain will produce more persimmons than nectarines by 2022, while French production is confidential.

a company making a stand against waste Awarded at the MEDFEL fair for their contribution to the reduction of losses of organic fruit and vegetables in agreement with Alterbio (Perpignan), Phoenix operates on the principle of solidarity economy in 22 French cities with 120 employees. It aims to reduce losses in food and DIY items and it collaborates with major distribution chains such as supermarkets, food catering, manufacturing plants and also events. Alterbio in collaboration with Phoenix was able to donate 276 tons of products equivalent to €500 000 to about 2 500 consumer beneficiaries. Phoenix has put in place «Phoenix app», «B2C» services with online subscription in Paris and Lyon, such as basket week. The baskets contain unsold products from shops but which are still consumable, offered at half price.

offers long citrus campaigns Valencian citrus specialist Cinatur is focusing on the European market. While Norway will continue to be the main destination for its products, France, Germany and Denmark will take on special importance this year, as stressed by commercial manager, Salvador Ferrer, at the Medfel fair: «We believe in brand development and can see that the French really appreciate high-quality fruit. We also specialise in long campaigns and can offer a wide range of products across the longest possible calendar for each variety, from the first to the last day of the campaign.»

»A » l

»»Anecoop

»»Phoenix

»»Cinatur

At Anecoop, the pomegranate does not amount to the same weight as the khaki (15 000 tons against 200 000 tons). «But it’s a product that is becoming trendy,» says Jean-Luc Angles. Finally, the blueberry is experiencing an impressive boom in consumption.

The volumes consumed double every year in France.

«We must not let the productions of other countries take this niche,» warns Côme Lapierre, President of the SPMF, the blueberry growers ‘ Union of France. The French production of blueberries represents about 80 producers, mostly on small areas and by direct sale.

with over 50 juice and salad references Today, the Spanish group offers more than 50 references of «convenience» product //4th and 5th range//. Launched 10 years ago, it comprises 7 product families: cut fruit, spreads, guacamole, fruit puree, vegetable pancakes (at launch stage), organic soups and organic fruit juices. Most of its products are tranformed in Valencia, all by its member producers.

»»Mafresh

offers customised solutions Mafresh is a Valencian consortium created to export Spanish garlic, onion and citrus to distant overseas markets, such as Japan, Taiwan and the French Antilles. However, the firm’s new commercial strategy will see it focus more on Europe. «We have decided to participate as exhibitors at the Medfel fair because, for us, France is one of the most interesting markets in Europe. As a small consortium, we can be very flexible to respond with solutions tailored to the needs of each client, whether in terms of calibre, packaging or quality,» said Esther Vaño of Mafresh’s marketing department.

»»Nature & Sense aims to surprise the consumer

Nature & Sense exhibited with a stand at Medfel for the first time. Among the firm’s novelties on display was a gourmet bag containing two fresh avocados grown in Malaga. The fruit is accompanied by a mini pot of honey or virgin olive oil. «This type of special packaging is designed to allow the retailer to offer different consumer experiences by combining flavours and seeking to surprise the final consumer,» said Verónica Fernández, one of the owners of this family business.

Fernandéz highlighted the great interest in their offer at the fair: «We are interested in closer commercial links in France, which is a market that knows how to appreciate the products designed for luxury gourmet lines.»

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Agroalimentaria, the business platform for Dominican Republic and the Caribbean

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ts privileged location, connectivity, land wealth, vegetation and variety of microclimates are some of the conditions that make the Dominican Republic the commercial centre of the Caribbean region.

The Dominican Republic is not only a tourist destination with paradise beaches but also the commercial hub of the Caribbean. This was very clear at the 7th edition of Agroalimentaria, the International Fair of Food, Tobacco and Drinks held between May 8th and 11th at the Convention Centre of the Dominican Fiesta Hotel & Casino Santo Domingo. Over 180 buyers from 33 countries were in attendance to learn about the Dominican exportable offer in business meetings with more than 160 local exporting companies.

With its strategic geographical location, its impressive logistics connectivity and preferential access to more than 900 million consumers through the five commercial agreements it has signed, the Dominican Republic is the commercial partner par excellence for successful business. In 2018, exports totalled US$10.9 billion, with the agricultural and agro-industrial sector accounting for 20% (+14.2% compared to 2017).

The executive director of the Center for Exports and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), Marius de León, said, «This growth has been possible thanks to the public-private synergy of which this fair is an example. Our focus is to shift from exporting primary products to industrialised products which take to the world the flavour of Dominican land as well as the culture and capabilities of our producers.»

In turn, Luis Bonilla, president of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD), said, «Connecting our agribusiness companies with international markets promotes stability and progress in the fields and cities.» Bonilla called for exporters to work on quality and safety certifications, in disease control and in the presentation of products.

THE GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO INCREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS The Minister of Agriculture, Osmar Benitez, said, “The country was able to surpass its goal of US$2.2 billion in agricultural exports in 2018. The goal for the next five years is to exceed US$5 billion. We have also advanced in our own territory. In 2018, the sales of agroindustrial products to our tourism sector were US$872 million, and we expect to reach US$1 billion this year.» In order to meet these goals, the National Competitiveness Council was created, a decentralised and autonomous mixed entity under the Ministry of the Presidency which has the role of defining specific measures to improve the business climate and increase the competitiveness of the productive sectors.

Director of the council, Rafael Paz, said, «Through an analysis of market demand and local capacities, five

OPINIONS

key sectors of the economy have been prioritised, including agriculture, and within it 10 products that each have the potential to generate about US$50 million a year: avocado, mango, pineapple, banana, greenhouse vegetables, field vegetables, coconut, cocoa, cassava and meat.

INTERNATIONAL MARKETS: THE AXIS OF THE CONFERENCES Agroalimentaria 2019 offered a space for technical conferences on topics related to the agro-export sector. These included the status of progress with the FSMA and the challenges that the Dominican Republic must meet, the new EU regulatory framework for importing fresh agricultural products, certifications and traceability, and potential markets.

As of October 31, 2018, the country had 1,692 producers certified with GLOBALG.A.P.. Of these, 1,536 are banana producers, 122 produce avocados, 23 produce mangoes, 3 produce lemons, and 1 produces peas. These numbers demonstrate the efforts that the Dominican Republic is making to reach the standards of safety and quality demanded by international markets.

In addition to the Technical Days, other activities took place simultaneously that attracted the attention of national and international participants, such as the Tobacco Show, coordinated by the Tobacco Institute of the Dominican Republic, which included the exhibition of renowned Dominican Premium cigars, and the by now traditional «Dominican Kitchen», made with the support of the American Culinary Federation, in which those present were able to taste exquisite dishes made with Dominican products to enjoy a supreme gastronomic experience.

• Alfonso Torres Calderón, General Manager, World Agromarketing Mamma Mia (exporter) «It has been a success, with a very good influx of buyers from different markets.

There is a lot of interest for Dominican vegetables, since we have a privileged position for export. The organisers of the fair have done an exceptional job. Currently, we only export to the US, but the fair has opened opportunities in Spain, Canada and the Caribbean.»

• Josué Navarro Luna, Grupo Plátanos López - Arielita (importer) «I was pleasantly surprised. Dominican companies are becoming more professional and specialised. At the business meetings, I noticed that entrepreneurs are better prepared and have products that meet the quality standards we seek.»

• Emmanuel Coss, Commercial Analyst, DP World Caucedo (port) «The fair has been excellent. The meetings were very productive and it is very gratifying to be able to support Agroalimentaria. It is the first time that we have participated with a stand. We see a lot of potential in the Dominican Republic. In 2018 we moved 1,300,000 TEUs, 15% more than in the previous year. We are the gateway to the Caribbean.»

• Julia Cruz Inoa, Commercial Supervisor Sales Department, Dominican Maritime (logistics) «There is a lot of growth, especially because the Dominican Republic has become the hub of the Caribbean, competing with Panama, for example. It is one of the most stable economies and with this logistics regime, the country can be used as a distributor for all the islands of the region.»

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Over 1,400 exhibitors and visitors at Indusfood international fair

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he international food fair IndusFood, organised by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) and the Ministry of Trade and Food of India, took place last January in Delhi. It was the second edition of Indusfood, and the number of visitors and country participants almost doubled. More than 500 food producers from India and some 800 buyers, representatives of wholesale, retail and catering companies and state organisations of 80 countries, participated at the fair. During B2B meetings, round tables and conferences, Indian food producers and buyers from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the US and Russia discussed business opportunities and existing barriers concerning customs, duties, and documentation. India is now one of the biggest players in the global food industry, and in the fruit and vegetables sector in particular. The country is the leading producer of bananas (27% of world production), mango (40%), and green peas; it is the second world producer of fruit and vegetables.

The leading producers and exporters of all of these products were present at the fair. “One of the focuses of the Indusfood project is organics,” said Mohit Singla, president of TPCI. India is the largest organic producer in the world. The government has removed all limitations concerning the export of organic products; small

and medium producers will get support for finding new partner–importers, and Indusfood also provides such opportunities. At present, 60% of the local population is engaged in the agricultural sector, but just 10% of food products are consumed or processed, due to the deplorable situation of cold storages and logistics. “The Indian Government has set out an ambitious plan for solving these challenges,” declared Kharsimrat Kaur Badal, the Minister of the Food Industry at Indusfood’s opening ceremony. “We intend to connect our producers with foreign distributors to stimulate the

• India, the world’s second producer of fruit and vegetables

India grows the largest volume of vegetables, from temperate zones to humid tropics, and from sea level to snowline. It ranks second after China in fruits and vegetables production in the world. Major vegetables grown in India are potato, onion, tomato, cabbage, beans, aubergine, cucumber, peas, garlic and okra. The area under cultivation of vegetables exceeds 10 million ha, with a production of 169.06 million tons (201516). India is the largest producer of ginger and okra and ranks second in production of potatoes, onions, cauliflowers, and cabbages.

India is the largest producer of fruits in the world and is known as the Fruit Basket of the World. The area under cultivation of fruits stood at 6.3 million hectares in 2016, while vegetables were cultivated on 10.1 million hectares. The major fruits grown in India are mangos, grapes, apple, apricots, orange, banana, avocados, guava, lychees, papaya, and watermelons. The country ranks first in production of bananas (25.7%), papayas (43.6%) and mangoes (including mangosteens and guavas, 40.4%).

• The major products exported by India: grapes, mango and onion

Its vast production base offers India tremendous opportunities for export.

During 2017-18, India exported fruits worth US$655.90 million and vegetables worth US$804.03 million. Mangoes, walnuts, grapes, bananas, pomegranates account for a large portion of fruits exported from the country, while onions, okra, green chillies, mushrooms and potatoes contribute a large part of the vegetable export basket. The major destinations for Indian fruits and vegetables are the UAE, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Grapes cover an area of 123,000 ha, occupying 2.01% of the total area.

The country is also a major exporter of fresh grapes to the world. Last year, the country exported 214,440 tons of grapes worth US$332.75 million, mainly to the Netherlands, Russia, the UK, Germany and the UAE.

construction of modern processing factories and to improve logistics inside the country and abroad.” The Indian Government will buy food products directly from farmers, construct distribution centres and cold storages, and organise deliveries to foreign importers.

During the last 10 years, the government has allocated around US$1 billion to domestic food manufacturers.

Through its new policy, India aims to double its exports of agricultural products to US$60-70 billion by 2022.

The domestic food retail sector is the 6th in the world in terms of value.

The second fruit exported from India is mango. Last year 49,180 tons of fresh mangoes were exported, valued at US$59.28 million, mainly to the UAE, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the US. Among vegetables, fresh onions amounted to the largest part of exports, with 1.59 million tons, worth US$479 million exported last year.

• APEDA, the state body for promoting exports of India’s agricultural products

Established in 1986, the Agricultural and Processed food products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the state organisation responsible for promoting exports of Indian agricultural produce. The body is responsible for the development of specific agricultural industries, and carries out inspections of products scheduled for export to ensure quality and conformity with international standards. Moreover, the body organises training workshops for industry specialists. APEDA also promotes Indian agricultural products internationally. The country has been dynamically developing its export activities. “Every year, the number of farms registered by APEDA has been increasing, and registered farms are authorised to export fruits,” said Dr Sudhanshu, deputy general manager. “For example, we currently have 43,262 farms registered where grapes are produced, and 185 packing houses. Grape export volumes grew from US$268 million in 2016-2017 to US$298 million in 2017-2018. Since 2006, we have implemented traceability systems at packinghouses, and now we can guarantee the high quality of our fruit.”

At the same time, around 700 types of fruit and vegetables are grown in the country; this offers various opportunities to export other products.

“We can say that the APEDA is the platform for showcasing India’s strength in food products on the global market,” said Sudhanshu. “Participation in global exhibitions such as Indusfood (Delhi) helps greatly.”

Indusfood, which was held for the second time in Delhi, is India’s official, export-focused trade fair displaying the country’s best line-up of food and agricultural products to global buyers.

RESERVE YOUR BOOTH! Choose your best location

Expoalimentaria 2019!

Market of

opportunities for the world

25th, 26th and 27th of September Lima - Peru

MORE THAN 560 exhibitors from 26 countries 50,000 visits 3,500 international visitors US$ 850 millions in negotiated amount 316,459 ft2 area of exhibiton www.expoalimentariaperu.com

Organizador:

Co-organizadores:

T: (51-1) 618-3333 - ext 4208 - 4403 E: expoalimentaria@adexperu.org.pe

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2019

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Hong Kong hosts Asia Fruit Logistica

Fruit Expo back in Guangzhou

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sia Fruit Logistica, Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable trade show, returns to AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong on September 4-6 and is set to host exhibitors from 44 different countries. This year, leading companies from the fresh herbs, spices and sprouts categories, as well as the frozen fruit and vegetable sector, will join the important regional fresh fruit and vegetable trade platform, bringing even more business opportunities. Last year, some 826 exhibitors showcased their products and services to more than 13,500 high-quality industry professionals from over 70 countries. Exhibitor stands are set to be bigger and better again in 2019. Shanghai Huizhan Fruit and Vegetable Market Management has increased the size of its stand by 50%, while there are new national pavilions for Brazil, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, and Peru has been nominated as the first official partner country.

The show is both an excellent place to do business and a key information hub.

The Asia Fruit Congress takes place the day before Asia Fruit Logistica at the same venue. Then, on the show-floor at Asia Fruit Logistica, visitors can take part in three different forums. Asia Fruit Business Forum offers practical ideas and solutions for better fresh produce marketing and business management, Smart Horticulture Asia is a forum on disruptive technology and digitalisation of the supply chain, while Cool Logistics Asia provides a programme of workshops on cold chain management.

uided by the China Fruit Marketing Association, Fruit Expo is back this year after its successful debut in 2018. The first trade show dedicated specifically to the fruit industry in South China, it takes place June 27-29 at China Import & Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, one of the biggest fruit trade hubs in Southeast Asia. Staged on a 25,000 sqm show floor, Fruit Expo 2019 will host over 300 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors and has the support of Guangzhou-based consulate-generals including those of Indonesia, Thailand,Chile, Vietnam，Greece, Mexico, Peru and India, as well as many trade associations, research institutes and media organisations. The show’s industry scope includes fresh fruit (including fresh cuts and organic), processed fruit (including frozen fruit products, dried, canned), fruit processing equipment and technology, cold chain and logistics, fruit cultivation and post-harvest handling, retail and related technology. The Guangzhou International Fruit Forum will once again be held concurrently, this year featuring insights and inspiration from over 20 speakers – many of them C-suite leaders – from about 10 countries. The forum is expected to attract an audience of over 350 people and is an excellent platform to both exchange ideas and raise awareness. To give an idea of the size and strategic importance of Guangzhou for the fruit trade, the Guangzhou Jiangnan Fresh Produce Wholesale Market occupies about 180,000 sqm, has the highest number of fruit transactions in China and imports account for 70% of its fruit trade volume. With only weeks to kick off, contact the organisers soon for an E-pass to the show.

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and the UAE deserves special mention, and the debut participation of Ecuador and Israel. The event slogan is “Where Fresh Produce & Innovation meet”.

RETAIL LEADERS FEATURE AT 2ND BIOFRUIT CONGRESS ON OCT 2, AT FRUIT ATTRACTION

India, Singapore guest Importers at Fruit Attraction

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ruit Attraction 2019 takes place in Madrid from Tuesday October 22 to Thursday October 24 and 16% more international companies are expected to attend. Organised by IFEMA and FEPEX, the 11th edition will thus bring together about 1,800 companies and 90,000 trade professionals, making the annual event truly a global fresh produce hub. In line with its policy of fostering fruit and vegetable trade between EU and non-EU markets, Fruit Attraction 2019 will host India and Singapore as Guest Importing

Countries. Accordingly, they will be the focus of this year’s World Fresh Forum, a networking space that will feature over 100 traders, purchasing managers, operators, importers, and retailers from India and Singapore. As for the event in general, in addition to the strong participation from EU countries such as the Netherlands, France, Italy, the UK, Portugal and Poland, with strong growth in Greece’s involvement, the presence of non-EU countries such as Chile, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, South Africa

With a focus on specialist organic retailers, discounters and e-commerce, the 2nd edition of the BioFruit Congress will take place on October 22, once again within the frame of the Fruit Attraction fair in Madrid.

Being held in hall 6 of the Feria de Madrid venue, this new international congress on organic fruit and vegetables is organised by Eurofresh Distribution magazine and IFEMA, the trade fair institution of Madrid.

“We’re seeing a global surge in sales of organic fresh produce, both in developing economies and the newer distribution channels of mature markets, both of which will be in the spotlight for this 2nd edition,” said Pierre Escodo, editor of Eurofresh Distribution and the conference coordinator. “The first edition was a big success and revealed unflagging interest in the organic market phenomenon, which continues to grow at double digit rates. There were around 450 delegates, including representatives from the European Commission and top European retail chains,” he said.

AECOC congress to canvass top F&V trends Focus on new markets, health benefits at Huelva’s Berry Congress Discover new retail opportunities for berries by attending this year’s Berry Congress (Congreso de Frutos Rojos) June 1920 in Huelva, Spain. The 5th edition of this international event will explore the sector’s challenges, trends and potential in new markets, especially in China, India and northern Europe. Organised by Freshuelva, which represents Huelva’s strawberry growers and exporters, the congress is held at the Casa Colón Conference Centre and welcomes all members of the sector, including companies that produce and market berries and those providing related services or products. Last year’s programme attracted about 1,200 participants. Other topics on the 2019 programme include the economic outlook for the sector, environmental sustainability, berry production in the Ibero-America region, new varieties, and berry health benefits. There will also be a parallel program of commercial presentations, exhibition areas for companies to showcase their products and services, and an area for meetings and networking. The exhibition floor space will be 10% bigger to allow for the presence of around 100 companies directly linked to the berry sector.

New trends in produce shopping in Spain and Carrefour’s pioneering use of blockchain to increase transparency and traceability.

They’re among topics on the agenda of the 21st AECOC Fruit and Vegetables Congress, being held at Valencia’s Palacio de Congresos June 4-5. This annual industry fixture will provide highly pertinent and useful analysis of market data, trends and challenges, plus success stories from top fruit and vegetable companies. And there’ll be ample networking opportunities for the over 600 professionals attending. Also on the 2019 programme are the revolutionary new supply chain crowdfarming, how Unica Group became one of Spain’s most successful coops, a debate on demand for less plastic and more sustainability, how to best convey the value of fruit and vegetables, and how to bust food myths. Speakers include Nielsen’s Ricardo Alcón; AECOC Shopperview’s Marta Munné, Carrefour’s José Antonio Santana and Eugenio Morales; Crowdfarming’s Gonzalo Úrculo; trendspotter Magnus Lindkvist; Unica Group’s Enrique de los Ríos; RK Growers’ Carlo Lingua; ITENE’s Carmen Sanchez; Bargosa’s Fernando Alfaya; Lidl’s Michaela Reischl; journalist Marc Amorós; popular nutrition blogger Marián García; and Grupo Luria’s Nieves Jerez.

Fruit & Veg Professional Show 5 6 7 May 2020 Rimini - Expo Centre - ITALY Organized by:

macfrut.com

NEWS

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Iberica de Patata, joins campaign of Spanish heart foundation

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bérica de Patata will be boosting its seasonal product by highlight its nutritional contribution during the 2019 season. As part of this strategy, the firm has recently joined the Food and Health Programme (PASFEC) of the Spanish Heart Foundation to develop a marketing campaign that promotes the benefits of the potato for cardiovascular health. The potato is unquestionably a healthy food source of potassium, which contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. With low fat content (depending on how it is cooked), it is rich in carbohydrates, thereby providing energy to the body, and contains vitamins,” said manager, Pablo Jiménez.

Given their versatility, affordable price and nutritional value, potatoes are one of the most consumed foods in the world and Iberica de Patata’s plan is to transmit their great benefits. The company is promoting seasonal products such as the new potato from Malaga, which is the first early new potato from Spain, with great flavour and texture. It will also promote the new potato of the Community of Madrid, under the brand La Auténtica Patata-Especial Castiza; the campaign will start at the end of June and will last until mid-Oc-

tober. This potato is characterised by its freshness and quality, since it is on the shelf the day after harvesting. This potato contains all of the traditional, fresh and great quality flavours of the vegetable. Given the proximity between harvesting and marketing, the potato’s nutritional properties and flavour remain intact. It comes with the distinctive M Certified Product labelling, which identifies the quality foods of the

iBerry world click & grow agro-innovation in Ukraine iBerry Ukraine is an innovative farm with direct remote control over all growing processes.

The prefix “i” in iBerry emphasises the firm’s aspiration for innovation. Director of strategy and development, Evgeniy Kharlan, believes that a modern berry business is impossible without technology and innovation. Established in 2017, the company produces blueberries, asparagus and haskap with the vision of developing a transparent business. iBerry has 100 hectares of blueberries, of which 20% is certified with the Organic Standard Certificate. It has over 250,000 plants of the most popular varieties imported from Fall Creek and Kusibab-Wyka: Duke, Spartan, Patriot, Bluegold, Bluecrop, Chandler and Eliot. The firm also has 20 hectares of asparagus, which is a relatively new production for the country.

“We don’t know what the production will be yet, but we predict that it will account for 20% of Ukraine’s total volume. We also have 10 hectares that meet Organic Standards, which represents the biggest of that category in the country,” said Kharlan. The irrigation and fertigation systems are fully automated by Talgil. Everything in the process is MO controlled. For 2019, the firm expects to utilise robots for the transportation berries and to complete the construction of specialist infrastructure. With certain agreements already formalised for this year, the local market is the only destination for the firm’s products for now. The company is planning to plant a further 300 hectares of blueberry and 100 hectares of asparagus by the end of 2021.

Community of Madrid,» said Jimenez.

A specialist in Spanish potato for 50 years, Iberica de Patata produces over 130 million kilos annually.

It has created a business model that gives value to the entire chain. «We transmit valuable information to farmers about what the final consumer demands and, similarly, we also supply seeds that respond to these needs,» said Jiménez.

Bayanas Gold seeks to increase market for pineapple by air With 500 hectares of MD2 pineapple production, Bayanas Gold is a prestigious producer and exporter from the Dominican Republic. The firm currently produces 1 million exportable boxes and aims to increase this volume by planting 500 additional hectares. Around 40% of the pineapple is sent by air to the European market and to Israel, while the rest is sent by sea to the US, Portugal and the Caribbean islands, under the brand ‘The Perfect Pineapple’. Manuel Cammarano Luckert, logistics manager, said «Pineapple by air is a fruit that ripens on the plant. It is sold as a fresh fruit, freshly harvested and, therefore, of better quality. It is a pineapple that the consumer buys at a premium supermarket.» Bayanas Gold is interested in all markets, so the goal is to increase its production of fruit over the coming years. «Artisanal work is needed to produce this particular type of pineapple, which is the added value. The direct ripening of each fruit requires more workers and greater dedication.» This culture of differentiation means that the company is interested in developing processed convenience products. «The country is going through a period of export development and we have to take advantage of this to reach new markets. We have to evolve to be able to compete because demand is increasing.» The company has GLOBALG.A.P. and BSCI certification.

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Coop Switzerland’s latest improvements in fresh The supermarket chain aims to keep innovating with new and tastier products

we are today with tomatoes,” he said. Back in 2015, Coop realised it had a problem with tomatoes – the taste varied and often they didn’t look that good. First it focused on finding out what its customers oop Switzerland sold expect in tomatoes and then 223,934 tons of fruit and on delivering it. Allenspach said vegetables in 2018, ac- Andreas Allenspach the resulting “quantum leap” – counting for over a third of that sold which included a reduction from at retail in Switzerland. The grocery giant also leads 45 tomato SKUs in Coop’s biggest supermarkets in the Swiss retail market with a 40.5% share of the to 32 – has been fruitful. However Coop continues value of food and near food sales at retail. And it is to review its selection to ensure it offers the best of spearheading moves towards greater sustainability. each tomato type and that, along with its belief in “The three huge topics in Switzerland at the moment innovation as a big driver of sales, has seen it decide are plastic, food waste, and pesticides and other to add to its offering the Amela tomato from Japan, plant protection products,” says Andreas Allenspach, grown by Granada’s La Palma cooperative. “We are Coop Switzerland’s head of category management very proud that we are the first retailer in Europe to for fruit, vegetables and flowers. Speaking to ED at introduce it,” he said, “it’s outstanding in terms of Fruit Logistica in Berlin in February, he said one of the taste, flavour and appearance.” The Amela has been recent changes of which he is most proud is Coop’s sold under Coop’s top own brand, Fine Food, since decision to ‘unpack’ – avoid plastic packaging – for all February 2019. organic produce where possible. “We were perhaps the first mover on this in Switzerland and we’ve had HASKAP BERRIES, ANOTHER FIRST a lot of positive feedback on it. And we have also The berries segment is still growing strongly for introduced cellulose multi-use bags, which are sold Coop. “It’s unbelievable,” Allenspach said. And to customers as a sustainable alternative to plastic Coop is proud that this summer will see it become single-use ones,” Allenspach said. The cellulose bags the first Swiss retailer to offer Swiss-grown haskap have been quite popular, with over 630,000 sold so berries. Known by some as honeyberries, haskaps far. And Coop is continuing to look for ways to re- look like blueberries but are longer and higher in duce plastic packaging for all fruit and vegetables. antioxidants. They are not yet well known in SwitFor instance, In the wake of a strong winter with a zerland, though lifestyle magazines have started high volume of citrus sales in the Alpine nation, it is to talk about them, he said. A Swiss grower came preparing to change its citrus packaging in favour of to Coop three years ago with the idea of growing more sustainable alternatives, such as more use of haskaps and Coop decided to get onboard. “It’s a very difficult berry to grow, which is why it took three cardboard. years. We had to find the right variety in terms of NEW TOMATO OFFERING NOW shelf life and a nice taste.” The conventional ones are INCLUDES JAPAN’S AMELA being grown at Lake Constance and organic ones Another change of which Allenspach is proud is the in central Switzerland.The initial volume will be only result of a major overhaul of Coop’s tomato segment. about 10 tons with marketing due to start in May. And “It was a huge project and we are really happy where the haskaps won’t be cheap, they’ll be a premium product – reflecting the significant added value – sold in punnets, but one likely to be popular with foodies and people into healthy food and not yet available in other Swiss supermarkets, he said. “It’s another example of how we try to be innovative.”

‘TROPICAL AVOCADO’ SELLING WELL Already a hit with Swiss shoppers is what Coop calls Tropical Avocado, which includes the varieties Carla and Semil 34. Sales volumes are flourishing for this product. It is significantly larger and has a longer

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COOP GROUP

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shelf life than the Hass while also being very tasty.

“You can eat it just like butter or yogurt,” Allenspach said. Sourced from the Dominican Republic, it is sold under Coop’s Primagusto brand for food that is better-tasting than the average. “No one else in the Swiss market has it, it’s an example of our differentiation with other supermarkets. It’s really rather successful and we’re proud of it. We’re seeing that more and more people are buying this kind of avocado. It’s quite expensive but they are willing to pay the price, which shows me that for a nice product with top quality and great flavour you can ask a good price,» he said. The Tropical Avocado retails for CHF 4.95 (€4.30) year-round.

ASPARAGUS – PLAN TO REDUCE SKUS Akin to the revamp of its tomato range, Coop is overhauling its asparagus range to reduce the number of SKUs. Its current offering spans many different formats, from 250g punnets to 1kg bunches. It aims to retain only the SKUs delivering the best turnover and lowest waste rate. “We have too many SKUs and we are working on how we are going to change that

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Selected produce sales figures for Coop VAL (1,000 CHF)

Coop Group overview

VOL (T)

2017

2018

YoY change

2017

2018

YoY change

1,145,078

1,147,529

0.2%

234,471

223,934

-4.5%

Berries

97,007

99,974

3.1%

7,565

6,988

-7.6%

Apples*

69,392

68,487

-1.3%

17,842

16,144

-9.5%

Pears*

16,025

14,241

-11.1%

3,800

3,356

-11.7%

Tomatoes

102,872

105,421

2.5%

14,716

14,774

0.4%

Fruit & Veg

* A bumper harvest in summer/autumn 2018 thanks to favourable weather had an interesting impact at Coop – its sales of apples and pears fell while those of pie dough shot up about 10%. It seems many Swiss consumers didn’t need to buy as many apples and pears as they had plenty of home-grown fruit, including for baking, Allenspach said.

Sales of asparagus by Coop Switzerland 2017

2018

Value (CHF)

21,925,298

20,890,753

Volume (KG)

2,185,195

2,020,684

LETTUCE ALSO SET FOR A SHAKE-UP

”For a nice product with top quality and great flavour you can ask a good price.» during 2019,” Allenspach said, adding that asparagus is “one of the last really traditional seasonal products.” Asparagus is widely enjoyed in Switzerland – the European capital in terms of consumption of this product – and Coop’s offering is about 50% white and 50% green varieties. Its range includes German asparagus, which is well regarded in Switzerland for its freshness and quality and particularly appreciated by the many Germans living there. Coop also sells asparagus of the Gijnlim and Cumulus varieties under its Primagusto label for outstanding fruit and vegetables. The fact they are grown in loess soils enhances their taste and smell, he said.

While sales of fresh cuts, particularly pre-washed and cut salad, are thriving, Coop has been losing market share in lettuce and in salads overall and an overhaul of this segment is also underway. Allenspach said analysis has already taken place of the assortments, including different varieties and SKU numbers, in Coop stores. “We saw that we have too many growers and that too many are growing too many different types and varieties of lettuce.” Over a year, about 75% of lettuce sold by Coop is Swissgrown. “We held a tasting through own kitchen and sampled several dozen lettuces. Also, a project team went to the Netherlands and visited well known seed companies and they showed us all their different types and we made our choice. We’re quite sure that we’ve now found the right varieties and types,” he said. They had to be crunchy and have a good shelf life, compact head and, something not easy when it comes to lettuce, good taste. Some Swiss salad growers will start trialling the new varieties as of the coming European summer. Now, Coop is considering formats, including possibilities of cross-selling looking and how best to present the salad category, Allenspach said. It is currently focusing its main plans for innovation on two trends. “One is that there is more and more acceptance by our customers of hydroponic lettuce. We therefore added the ‘living salad’ to our assortment last year – a ‘combined’

HQ: Basel 2nd biggest Swiss retail cooperative POS: ≈2,310 retail outlets in Switzerland - Of which: ≈950 Coop supermarkets, in 3 formats Net supermarket sales 2018: CHF 10.4b (+0.8% YoY) Net retail sales organic food: ≈ CHF 1.4b Net retail sales Coop organic line Naturaplan: CHF 1.28b (+17%) Swiss population: 8.5m (1 CHF = abt. €0.87)

Market share of F&V sales value at retail in Switzerland in 2018

Total sales: ≈3,003 million CHF (€2.64b) Coop 39%, Migros 50.8%, Denner 4.4%, Volg 2.4%, department stores (Globus, Manor) 2.2%, Spar 1.2% source: Nielsen

Food & near food market shares in Switzerland by value (Mar 2018 to Feb 2019)

Total sales: ≈25,920 million CHF (€22.8b) Coop 40.5%, Migros 40.1%, Denner 10.4%, department stores (Globus, Manor) 4.0%, Volg 3.4%, Spar 1.5% source: Nielsen

Coop’s top 3 sellers in veg & fruit (vol) for 2018

Top 3 #1 #2 #3

Veg Fruit Potatoes Bananas Tomatoes Apples Carrots Oranges

product of three different varieties which are grown on a single seedling and sold with their roots in order to guarantee maximum of shelf life and freshness.

Second, we are aiming to minimise the use of peat pellets for seedlings, especially for Lamb’s lettuce, because of their negative impact on the environment, such as destruction of moor in Scandinavia and the Baltic States,” he said. »JB »

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n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

How discount retail is doing in Europe The discounters are gaining popularity among fresh produce shoppers

count stores. Furthermore, in Germany, the UK and Spain, they are overtraded by discounters. “Even in France, fresh-cut salad sales are trading at 70% relative to the fruit and vegetable category,” the report says. In terms of organic produce, discounters urope’s discount supermarkets have come a generally have a limited product portfolio yet some long way since the 70’s when they barely sold overtrade in big organic lines such as bananas and any fresh fruit and vegetables. Since then, they carrots. Bananas are the most sold fruit in discount have expanded and evolved so much that even fresh- supermarkets and the biggest source of sales. When cut and organic products are offered it comes to vegetables, carrots, – and at attractive price points. Today, “In the end, a discount tomatoes and cucumbers are many discounters use fresh fruit and store still has to offer the most popular, having a high vegetables to attract customers and discount share. low prices.” actually overtrade in fresh produce.

HOW MUCH CHEAPER European consumers now generally take produce quality for granted so differentiation in ARE THE DISCOUNTERS? fresh is increasingly important yet hard for retailers. The report says it’s tricky to calculate the real diffeAnd all the while the discounters are keeping the heat rence in consumer prices between discounters and on in terms of value for money. Such is their influence supermarkets as their specifications usually vary that an extra chapter was dedicated to them in the slightly. Discounters do benefit from a relative price Fruit Logistica 2019 European Statistics Handbook, advantage, but the perceived difference is higher in an undersupplied market where average prices are high insights from which are shared here. than it is in an oversupplied market with depressed LIDL & ALDI THE CLEAR-CUT KINGS prices. However, low prices alone no longer ensure With sales of €81 billion in 2017 (according to LZ Re- success, factors such as innovation are crucial tailytics), Lidl is Europe’s top discounter. Though num- and ranges need to be constantly monitored and ber two in its home market of Germany, Lidl invested renewed. While the number of fresh produce lines earlier and faster in other parts of Europe than Aldi, offered by discounters has expanded fast in recent the country’s biggest discounter, whose European years, this growth has its limits because their advanturnover is estimated at €62 billion. The two remain tage in efficient logistics depends on a limited number by far the leaders among Europe’s discounters, the handbook says. From 3rd place down the rankings tend to vary. Russia’s X5 Retail Group (Pyaterochka) recently overtook Edeka Group’s discount banners The acceptance of discount supermarkets as (mainly Netto Marken Discount), pushing it into 4th F&V sellers and their market shares vary widely in Europe. The handbook says while consumers in place. Though the top German discounters already Denmark bought 41% of their fresh produce in dishave a strong foothold and high share in western count stores in 2017, followed by Germany (39%) Europe – the UK standing out as an exception – the and Poland (31%), the figures are much lower for Russian newcomer (est. turnover €18b) has “almost countries such as Spain and, to a lesser extent, unlimited opportunities to expand in the east,” the Italy, where consumers still tend to buy fresh fruit report says. Penny, the discount division of German and vegetables at markets or greengrocers. What’s supermarket chain Rewe, comes 5th in the European more, while discounters’ share of fresh fruit and vegetable spending has grown ever since the cateranking and 6th is Poland’s Biedronka, a subsidiary gory was introduced, the rates vary across segof Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins. Spots seven ments and countries. For instance, in Germany, and eight are held by Scandinavian companies Rema about 57% of all carrots, 47% of apples and 54% of 100 and Dansk Supermarked (with its main format oranges are bought at discount stores, compared Netto). Southern European companies Eurospin to 19%, 12% and 8% respectively in Spain.

(Italy) and Dia Market (Spain) occupy the last two positions in the top ten.

• Germany: in the homeland of discount food outlets, where efficient logistics help maximise produce freshness, more than half of all fruit and PRODUCT MIX – FRESH CUTS ARE vegetables are sold by Aldi, Lidl and other similar WELL-REPRESENTED retail outlets. In 1986, just 5 years after discounPerhaps surprisingly, discounters and supermarkets ters started selling produce, the percentage of leafy don’t show big differences in terms of their product vegetables sold there was already 14% and rose to mix, the handbook observes. This is still the case 52% by 2017. Volume growth in leafy vegetables has since stopped, but spending keeps rising – when it comes to fairly sensitive segments, such as fresh-cut salads, which are well represented in dis-

E

Europe’s top 10 discounters (based on net turnover 2017) Bn € 1 Lidl

80,5

2 Aldi

61,9

3 Pyaterochka (X5 Retail Group)

17,8

4 Edeka (Netto MD and other)

15,8

5 Penny (Rewe Group)

13,2

6 Biedronka (Jerónimo Martins)

12,5

7 Rema 1000 (Reitangruppen)

7,3

8 Salling Group (Dansk Supermarked)

5,6

9 Eurospin

5,6

10 Dia Market

4,6

Source: LZ Retailytics via Fruit Logistica 2019 European Statistics Handbook

of lines. “In the end, a discount store still has to offer low prices,” the authors stress. »JB » - Source: Fruit Logistica 2019 European Statistics Handbook

Differences between countries partly due to higher price but mainly thanks to shoppers trading up. “The comparatively cheap iceberg lettuce, for example, accounted for 37% of category spending at discount in 2012, but only 31% in 2017. At the same time, high-priced items like rocket and lambs lettuce increased their share – a trend seen not only in the discount sphere but also other trade channels including supermarkets.”

• UK: discounters are growing fastest in the UK, where class consciousness has not proved a barrier and new product ranges have focused on smart, rather than stingy, shoppers. Fresh has had a big role in this success: Aldi and Lidl recently overtraded in several categories including potatoes, soft fruit, citrus, fresh-cut salads and leafy vegetables.

• France: the market share held by discounters is very low and has recently declined further. Supermarkets specialising in fruit and veg have emerged as strong rivals to both hypermarkets and discounters.

• Spain: the country with the lowest discount share of FMCG in the EU in 2017, albeit growing rapidly.

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Getting Swedes to link stone fruit and summer Grocery giant ICA gives stonefruit a Mediterranean makeover

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his summer, Swedes will be spurred to discover new kinds of stone fruit and associate them with happy summer feelings. Sweden’s largest food retailer ICA sees potential to develop the category and has planned a major uplift to do so.

ICA’s Maria Wieloch, head of the fruit and vegetable category, says the idea is to link stone fruit with positive images of the sunny climes it comes from, namely the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece. The turquoise blue colour often seen on the doors of Greece’s white houses will feature in material prepared to help ICA stores popularise the fruit. “We’ve got a totally new design for the packaging, including the boxes the fruit comes in and the labels on punnets and stickers, all with a Mediterranean vibe to it,“ Wieloch told ED. “When they take a bite of a nectarine, we want consumers to recall summer breezes and happy holiday memories,” she said. ICA also wants Swedes to venture beyond nectarines (which account for its main stone fruit volume, though sales of other varieties, particularly peaches and paraguayos, are growing), to try the many other kinds of stone fruit – “including lovely new hybrids.” It has developed information explaining fruits such as the paraguayo, platerina and ladycott and a range of recipes featuring stone fruit will be available on www. ica.se to inspire Swedes with new ways to use them.

Stone fruits like apricots are used a lot in Mediterranean cuisines and are good in salads and even on a barbecue, Wieloch said.

STONE FRUIT SPECS ADJUSTED TO MINIMISE WASTE ICA Group recently set itself the goal of, by 2025, halving food waste from its warehouses and stores in Sweden and the Baltic countries compared with the base year of 2016. This can be seen in action in the stone fruit category, where the specifications have

recently undergone a big revision and any found to be unnecessarily tight, and thus driving food waste, were widened where possible. “Last year we had warmest summer in Sweden in 50 years so both melon and stone fruit sales really skyrocketed because of the heat and good availability,” Wieloch said. At the time of speaking, it looked like being another season with lots of stone fruit and with that comes a responsibility for retailers to try to sell as much of it as possible, including smaller sizes, “not just to cherry-pick the best,” she said.

ICA Group (ICA Gruppen)

Mainly active in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania Core business: grocery retail Head office: Solna, Sweden Group includes ICA Sweden & Rimi Baltic, which mainly conduct grocery retail

ICA Sweden

Sweden’s top grocery chain Main Swedish competitors: Coop, Axfood 1,277 stores across Sweden: Maxi ICA Stormarknad (hypermarket): 85 ICA Kvantum (superstore): 126 ICA Supermarket (mid-size supermarket): 429 ICA Nära (convenience): 637 F&V handled at depots in Helsingborg, Kallhäll, Borlänge

EASTER AND HALLOWEEN PRODUCE CAMPAIGNS A HIT ICA is known for its innovation in marketing produce and perhaps helping drive that is that, unlike many retail groups, it has the challenge of not just winning over consumers but also the decisionmakers in its independently-run stores. ICA stores are not obliged to source through ICA Group or to use the promotional campaigns it devises. “You have to make the material appealing if you want them to buy from us,” Wieloch explained. And that was the case with recent Easter and Halloween campaigns. For Halloween, ICA Group developed themed packaging, signage and other materials promoting various fruits and vegetables as alternatives to sugar-laden sweets.

Designed by ICA’s private label team, these included werewolf eyes (kumatos), zombie brains (cauliflower), vampire teeth (garlic), bat poo (licorice dates), monster poo (chocolate dates), spider bodies (blue potatoes), Dracula hearts (pre-boiled beetroot, Avacadabra (avocado 2-pack) and witch fingers (purple carrots). The media coverage included headlines like: “ICA wants kids to increase their fruit and veg consumption by eating poo”. There were also some “scary tastings” where produce was covered up and kids could feel and try it. “Stores told us it was the

most fun thing they’d done and they also saw that it sells,” Wieloch said. Easter is also associated with a lot of sugary sweets for children in Sweden, so ICA rolled out a line of healthier alternatives wrapped up like candy, including fruits such as flavoured dates, chocolate-covered orange and pear, and mini carrots and snack cucumbers.

SWEDES EATING MORE VEGGIES Wieloch said there’s been a huge shift towards eating more vegetables in the Nordic nation, where per capita meat consumption has now declined for the second year in a row. There is still demand for organic produce (popular items are bananas, citrus, carrots and potatoes) but it has remained stable, at about 15% of F&V category sales, while interest in local and Swedish produce (which many customers see as a more sustainable choice), and plastic-free products, has risen. ICA is working with Swedish producers to extend their output and supply calendars and be able to store produce longer, for example using ultra low oxygen storage for apples. As for imports, the main items are bananas, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, avocados, table grapes, peppers, broccoli and zucchini. »JB »

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Auchan Italy changing consumers’ lives with quality fruit & veg the off-season, any imports are mainly from Mexico and Peru,” he said. Much attention is also paid to tropical fruit and exotics. “Tropical is a category showing strong growth, especially for products such as mango, avocado, papaya and ginger. At Auchan, we have two lines: a Fairtrade and a traditional one, with differentiation between standard and readyto-eat products. We use various sources, including South America, Africa and Asia, but are now starting to see Italian production, too.”

FOUR BANDS OF BRANDED PRODUCT

The chain sources carefully, has an ample assortment and gives priority to Italian produce

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or over 30 years in Italy, Auchan Retail Italia has offered a wide range of products at diverse price points and with an emphasis on quality, in line with the brand’s values: “good, healthy and local”.

Fruit and vegetables represent 9% of the overall business volume of Auchan Retail Italia, which is today one of the largest operators in Italy’s large-scale retail trade. «Overall, our group has 46 hypermarkets and 1,500 supermarkets, both under direct management and in franchises distributed across the main Italian regions. Our fruit and vegetable departments range from up to about 60 sqm in the case of small proximity stores of 200 - 600 sqm, while in the large hypermarkets, we can reach as much as 500 - 600 sqm, plus convenience foods and dry products,” said Fabio Cafaro, fruit and vegetables and meat purchasing manager.

LARGE ASSORTMENT OF STRAWBERRIES AND STONE FRUIT Auchan pays great attention to its fruit assortment, topping up with some imports in a bid to ensure year-round availability of all core products. Another strong point is its wide segmentation, both in product categories and formats. «With strawberries, we have six different labels, including an organic brand and a range of varieties selected for their taste, with formats ranging from 250g to 1kg. The origin is predominantly Italian, but the start of the campaign always sees big imports from Spain, which arrive before the local production. The supply then continues from major grower regions such as Basilicata, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Sicily. Even for berries our products - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and

wild strawberries - are largely of Italian origin whenever possible, and we only resort to imports in the off-season,” Cafaro said. The situation in similar for stone fruit, where peaches rule the roost. «Peaches start between late April and early May with Spanish fruit, then move on to southern Italy, Emilia-Romagna, and continue up to mid-October with Sicilian fruit. We offer all varieties, from white and yellow nectarines to white and yellow peaches, plus local specialties, such as Tabacchiera peaches. With apricots, we start with imports from Spain, followed by fruit from the south of Italy (Sicily, Puglia, Calabria) and end with imports from France. We tend to start later, preferring products that have good flavour and quality and avoiding those that don’t meet our taste requirements.”

ALSO AN AMPLE OFFERING OF APPLES, TOMATOES The apple segment, with all the traditional varieties and the main club varieties, is very well structured. “In total, we have around 15 labels in the smallest stores, while in hypermarkets we can reach 25-30 different products, including all the traditional and club varieties as well as new varieties, and we’re constantly enriching the range. There is strong segmentation, with low-cost, top-of-the range and wholesale products.

The origin is Italian whenever possible. If needed during the off-season, we import from South America,» Cafaro said. As for vegetables, tomatoes provide the lion’s share, with a truly incredible assortment, but Auchan also dedicates a large space to asparagus and radicchio. «Depending on the time of the year, we have between 10-12 and 20-22 SKUs in tomato.

They are mainly Italian, with very small amounts from Spain and Holland. Our radicchio is 100% Italian all year, with all the specialties from Veneto, as well as that grown in other regions of Italy. And we source asparagus nationwide, from southern Italy to EmiliaRomagna to Veneto, and every variety, from white to green, pink to violet, depending on the territories. In

Auchan’s branded products are divided into four very specific segments. “The first traditional range is represented by our chain brand, where the product is carefully controlled throughout the production chain, from start to finish. We also have an Auchan Bio brand, dedicated to organic products from Italy, the Passioni brand, a premium line with regional and regional specialties, particularly for dried pulses, and a line dedicated to convenience foods and dry products,” Cafaro said. Auchan Retail Italia also differs from many of its rivals in its choice of suppliers, with applicants put through a very specific selection process. “Any company that intends to work with us and become our supplier must fill out a form on the portal of our Quality Service, providing all the details of their activities and their certifications. Once we get the okay from our Quality Service, we proceed to choose the candidates that have best presented themselves.

Of course, if we talk about conventional products, we rely on the guarantees of the supplier, while our standard of measurement is more restrictive when we talk about branded products,» he said. «Furthermore, in our general purchasing lines, we talk a lot about ethics: we won’t consider proposals from companies involved in illegal hiring or in the economic exploitation of workers and producers, or that use products permitted by law but not compliant with sustainable agriculture,” said Cafaro.

COMPANY PROFILE

Established in 1989 as the Italian division of the French group Auchan, Auchan Retail Italia operates in 19 regions, with about 19,000 employees and a multi-format network of about 1,500 POS (of which over 350 are direct), including Auchan hypermarkets, Auchan-branded supermarkets, Simply, IperSimply, local stores (MyAuchan and PuntoSimply), and over 50 Lillapois drugstores. Its hypermarkets and supermarkets offer over 5,000 branded products and around 17,000 local products. The promotion of Made in Italy products occurs via its export activities: 1,350 food products of 150 SMEs are exported to 29 countries, in 14 of which the retailer is present.

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Bashkir Trade Association, defends the rights of small regional retailers

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ashkir Trade Association (BTA) is an independent organisation of medium and small retailers of the Bashkiria Republic. “BTA was founded to assist small retailers to settle crucial matters,” said Elena Kislitsina, executive director.

“BTA collaborates closely with local authorities; they invite us to discuss new laws and regulations which concern trade.”

One of the strategic issues for regional retailers is cooperation with local producers. “Our republic is abundant in natural resources; our agricultural sector is advanced, so there are numerous food producers.

The government of the Bashkir Republic initiated the creation of a local brand - Product of Bashkortostan,” said Kislitsina. “To obtain the branding, producers send raw materials for testing; all the production processes are inspected; the products are regularly checked. Thus, a very high quality is guaranteed.

More than 3,000 SKU are already sold under the Product of Bashkortostan brand. They are available

in our stores and are most popular in Bashkiria.”

However, the fruit industry is not so well developed in the republic. There used to be fruit orchards, but they are in a poor state now. “The situation with vegetable supplies is not bad; most popular products such as potato, carrot, onion and tomato are grown in Bashkiria and the neighbouring regions (Dagestan and Krasnodar). But, fruit production in Bashkiria is unstable,” said Elena. “Our climate is not temperate; sometimes there’s frost, sometimes there are unexpected droughts. That is why our retailers have to import most of our fruit.” The country’s largest fruit suppliers are Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Ecuador.

Some 40 regional retailers are members of BTA, including medium-sized (more than 100 stores) chains such as Bayram, Polushka, Aksarlak, and Yarmarka and small chains (10-30 stores), such retailers as AiF, Dvorik, Lukoshko, Aldo and Malinka. “It is very difficult to compete with the large national retailers - Magnit,

Kranoye & Beloye, Monetka, Pyaterochka,” said Kislitsina. “The policies of national retailers are very aggressive, their penetration into Bashkiria is high, and many small chains have had to close. Unfortunately, the reduction in retail brands means a reduction in diversity, a deterioration in standards, and therefore end consumers are not satisfied. Thanks to our association, regional retailers can share their experience, establish new business contacts, coordinate efforts and thus become more competitive.”

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Snapshot of the fruit & veg trade in E Key production, market trends and trade patterns in Europe’s fresh produce business

urope is one of the world’s most important fruit and vegetable markets. Fresh produce totalling 103 million tons – including 47 million of fruit and 56 million of veg – was grown there in 2018 and two European countries alone – Spain and Italy – accounted for 42% of it. But according to the

UK: F&V production is under 2.5 million, exports total around 0.3 million and imports over 6.5 million t, ranking it second among Europe’s largest importers for both. Only 16% of the fruit consumed in Britain is produced in the UK. Nearly two-thirds of its fruit is from non-EU countries while two-thirds of its fresh veg comes from Spain and the Netherlands.

The top volume fruit imports are bananas, apples melons and easypeelers and in veg it’s tomatoes onions, peppers and lettuce. The highest growth imports are avocados, blueberries and figs, and peppers, garlic and sweetcorn. The UK veg production area is around 125,000 ha, with peas for processing grown on 28% of this. Since 2000, its soft fruit production has more than doubled and is now largely in plastic tunnels, with overall growth in glasshouse fruit outpacing glasshouse veg in the last decade. The top volume fruits grown are apples, strawberries and pears, in veg it’s carrots (the most commonly consumed veg in the UK, while in the rest of the EU it’s the tomato), onions and cabbage. The UK’s fresh F&V exports are minor, although in the past five years re-exports of items including bananas and oranges have risen. In 2017, UK household spending on fresh fruit and veg (including fresh-cut, excluding potatoes) was the second highest in the EU at €13.2bn, just behind Germany (€14.8bn).

SPAIN: by far Europe’s biggest fruit and veg producer and exporter.

In the last decade, its F&V exports grew by an annual average of 4%, with especially high growth rates for berries, watermelon and kiwifruit. Persimmons have also seen strong growth in more recent years and Spain continues to do well exporting stonefruit, mainly flat varieties, which have a significant market share in central Europe. The highest relative growth rates in vegetable exports are found in minor items like spinach or leeks, with the highest absolute growth in peppers, cucumbers and courgettes and in leafy salads and broccoli. Iceberg lettuce is the most exported salad vegetable, but growth in this category has lately been due to the success of items like baby leaf and romaine hearts. Tomatoes and peppers are the other main veg exports. Pepper and cucumber exports are on track to set new records.

Oranges, easy peelers and watermelon lead in both fruit production and export volumes. Tomatoes, onions and peppers lead in veg crop tonnage.

About 93% of Spanish exports stay within the EU. Germany is the main market (26%), followed by France (18%) and the UK (12%). Spain’s top imports are bananas, kiwifruit and apples in fruit; and beans, tomatoes and onions for veg.

Fruit Logistica European Statistics Handbook 2019, despite its varied climates, wide range of production and massive output, the European Union is a net importer, particularly so for fruit, because it grows only small quantities of bananas and other tropical fruit. About 13% of EU vegetable imports come from

BELGIUM: an important trade hub thanks to ports in Antwerp and Bruges-Zeebrugge. Mainstays of its fruit production are apples (6,000ha, mainly Jonagold and Jonagored) and pears (10,000ha, mainly Conference) and for veg it’s tomatoes, leeks, carrots, salads and chicory. Most fresh produce is grown in Flanders and much is marketed via auctions. Pears are now shipped to countries including China, India, Brazil and Vietnam. A net importer of fruit and veg, with exotics, citrus and apples, and carrots, turnips, onions, shallots and green beans among top items. France, Germany and the Netherlands are the top markets for its veg exports.

FRANCE: grows a wide range of fruit and veg and also imports huge amounts, with imports growing faster than exports. Tomatoes are both the top veg import and export. Top fruit crops: apples, bananas, melons, plums, apricots. Its fruit production is trending down, particularly for pears.

Top veg crops: tomatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, green beans and onions. Top fruit exports: apples, bananas, oranges, melons. Top veg exports: tomatoes, beans, cauliflower and onions. Top fresh fruit export markets: Spain, UK, Germany. Highest growth in fresh veg exports in last 9 years: white cabbage 25%, spinach 16%, mushrooms 15%.

ITALY: like Spain, is a top producer and net exporter of fresh fruit and veg in Europe, growing many crops but particularly stonefruit, citrus and exotics such as figs and kiwifruit. In several F&V categories – pears, nectarines, apricots, kiwifruit, table grapes, tomatoes and aubergines – Italy is Europe’s top producer. A third of the fruit and 12% of the veg are exported each year, heading mainly to Germany, France and Austria. Around 15% goes to countries outside the EU. Top volume fruit crops are apples, oranges and grapes and in veg it’s tomatoes, fennel and carrots. Highest volume fruit exports are apples, grapes and kiwifruit and lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots for veg. Recently there’s been high growth in its blackberry and blueberry exports but volumes remain low. In 2018, Italy imported ≈ 800,000 t of bananas and 128,000 t of tomatoes.

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Europe non-EU countries (top sources: Morocco, Israel and Egypt) and 40% for fruit (top sources: Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador & South Africa). The two top produce importers are Germany and the UK, with respective annual totals of ≈ 8.5 million and 6.5 million tons.“Thus, it comes as no surprise that the

fresh produce sector is eagerly following the Brexit debate,” the report says. “Mega-trends in consumer behaviour, such as convenience and ethical purchasing, look set to continue to be important; and the discussion sustainable packaging for fresh fruit and veg will surely become even more influential.

THE NETHERLANDS: a key fruit trade hub and net importer of fruit but net exporter of veg. Its production might be relatively modest, but it exported a huge amount of fresh fruit in 2017, second only to Spain in the EU. A lot of foreign fruit reaches Europe via re-export from Dutch ports.

Bananas are both its top fruit import and export in volume.

Oranges, table grapes, pineapples and avocados make up the top 5 imports. The top Dutch-origin fruit exports are pears, apples and strawberries. For veg, the top imports are onions, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, which are also the top Dutch-grown veg exports. The cucumber planted area has declined of late while sweet pepper production rises and onions see an upward trend in cultivated area and exports. Germany is by far its top market (46% of tomato & 63% of cucumber exports), trailed by the UK and Senegal.

However, price still matters,” it goes on to say. Here we share some of its highlights and insights into the major players in the EU market. »JB » Main source: Fruit Logistica European Statistics Handbook 2019

SWEDEN, FINLAND & DENMARK: popular export destinations given high purchasing power and low domestic production. Their self-sufficiency is just 9% for fruit but 62% for veg.

Overall, the trio imports ≈ 660,000 t of fresh veg per year, with a slight upward trend. The leading veg imports are tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, and bananas, apples and oranges for fruit. With a total of around 1.37m t, fruit imports are significantly higher than vegetable imports. Sweden, which has the largest population, imports the biggest vol. and has the highest domestic consumption of the three. Imports showing high growth over the last decade include white currants, persimmons, sweet cherries, raspberries and blackberries. The region’s most significant vegetable crops are carrots, onions and cabbage, all grown in open field, and tomatoes, the leading greenhouse crop.

GERMANY: by far the EU’s top produce importer, taking 5.3 million t of fruit and 3.2 million t of veg in 2018. With a self-sufficiency rate of 38% for veg and 15% for fruit, Germany is heavily dependent on imports. Top import volumes in fruit are bananas, apples, watermelon and oranges, and tomatoes, cucumbers/gherkins, pepper and lettuce in veg. Apples, bananas, tomatoes, carrots and oranges are the items households buy the most of. Germany’s top fresh fruit production vols are in apples, strawberries and plums, and in veg they are carrots, onions and white cabbage. A clear upward trend is seen in blueberry production. The veggies showing the most growth in production in the last decade are pumpkins, romaine lettuce and rocket. Top export vols are in bananas, apples and oranges, and in onions, lettuce and white cabbage

GREECE: has had so me success in recent efforts to find new markets for its fruit exports. About 23% of them now go to non-EU markets, including Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, though the top destinations in 2017 were Romania, Bulgaria and Germany. In volume, the top fruit exports are watermelon, oranges, kiwifruit and peaches and for veg it’s cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. Greece’s highest volume fruit crops are oranges, watermelon and grapes (seedless) and tomatoes, onions, peppers and cucumber when it comes to veg. Most of the fruit veg are grown under protection. Crete is Greece’s leading region for greenhouse production.

POLAND: top in fruit production volumes are apples (79% of total Polish fruit crop), strawberries, sour cherries and currants, while for veg it’s tomatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions. It is Europe’s top apple grower and also leads for crops like sour cherries, carrots and cabbage, and just outranks the Netherlands on mushrooms. The majority of Poland’s output goes for processing. It’s a major producer of frozen and canned veg, and juices, a net importer of fruit and usually a net exporter of veg. Fruit imports consist mainly of items Poland can’t grow, such as bananas, citrus and exotic fruit. In terms of exports, mushrooms lead (inc. speciality items like oyster mushrooms and shiitake, mainly bound for Western Europe), then onions and tomatoes. For cabbage, which ranks 4th, the main destinations are in south-east and eastern Europe.

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What opportunities for the EU sector in fast-changing Chinese market?

The Asian giant’s fruit market still has abundant room for expansion. EU exporters need to develop brand awareness and invest in logistics, while collaborating to open new protocols.

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hina’s fruit supply has remained fairly stable over the past two decades in terms of volumes, with around 50kg of fruit offered per capita each year – some way behind the EU, the US and India. However, the character and dynamics of the Chinese fruit market have altered radically over this period.

WATERMELON REMAINS CHINA’S NUMBER-ONE FRUIT PRODUCT China is a net importer of fruit. Total domestic fruit production reached 262.2 million tons in 2017. While the production is rather diversified, watermelons account for 30% of overall volumes (79.3 million tons in 2017, according to FAOSTAT data). The next major categories of Chinese fruit production are apples (16%) and citrus (15%). Fruit imports were worth US$6.95 billion in 2017, with tropical fruits (US$1.95 billion, 28%), stone fruit (US$1.48 billion, 21%) and bananas and plantains (US$896.8 million, 13%) the major catego-

China fruit imports 2018 (value)

ries, according to Chinese customs figures.

KEYS TO SUCCESS IN CHINA FOR EU EXPORTERS With the saturation of EU markets, China continues to represent a highly attractive destination for the EU’s fruit exporters. As of now, EU production accounts for only 5% of China’s total fruit imports (US$99 million), the major imported products being grapes, orange and kiwi. However, the current US-China trade war may offer an opening for EU producers wishing to fill the gaps on the market left by their US counterparts. As with all opportunities, there are also certain challenges, such as the requirements for export protocols and the need for each company and orchard to be authorised for exporting to China, as well as other bureaucratic procedures. Moreover, there is a need for European producers to adjust production calendars to China’s seasonality. It is also no simple task to successfully manage the complex logistics of shipping perishable products to such a distant location while maintaining the cold chain. Some of these challenges could best be overcome by European countries coming together to establish protocols and share know-how, resources and carry out common promotional campaigns.

SPANISH EXPORTERS AT THE VANGUARD Currently, Spain is the EU Member State that exports the widest variety of fruits to the Chinese market, shipping citrus, stone fruit and grapes to the Asian giant.

France exports apple and kiwifruit, while Italy sends kiwifruit and citrus. China also receives pear from Belgium and the Netherlands, citrus from Cyprus, kiwi from Greece and apples from Poland.

IMAGE-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS

China imports of Fruits that can be exported from EU countries in 2018 (USD M)

So, what points should EU fruit exporters bear in mind when considering whether to sell to China? It is vital to recognise that the Chinese market is developing at a rapid pace and is in constant evolution. Therefore, up-to-date data regarding consumer trends is key to success. Disposable income is increasing, consumers are eager to try new products and are seduced by the appeal of a Westernised lifestyle – image is of great importance in China today - and the people are willing to pay premium prices for imported products. Nevertheless, the Chinese are demanding and health-conscious consumers who expect quality and convenience.

DRIVERS OF DEMAND Despite being traditional products in Chinese shopping baskets, fruit consumption has grown faster than that of other food products. The main driver of

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Positive trend for Chinese f and veg imported into the EU

demand is first and foremost the fruit’s appearance, followed by its flavour, price, country of origin and packaging. One brand that has been particularly successful in China is Zespri, which is reaping the benefits of heavy investment in brand awareness. In 2016, the New Zealand kiwifruit brand recorded US$446 million in sales – an increase of 48% from the previous year.

Around 20% of Zespri’s sales are made online. Indeed, the e-commerce channel is growing at lightning speed, especially for premium fruits. This will only increase in the future, when more of the population goes online. Successful e-marketing in China requires an understanding of the country’s special dynamic.

Many of the social media platforms that are commonly used in the West are blocked, including Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Meanwhile, traditional fruit shops are falling out of favour, with giant supermarket chains like Pagoda dominating the market.

According to European fresh produce association data (Freshfel), there are positive trends in volume and compliance in relation to imports from China. Although administration still remains a challenge - 148 cases of inadequate or invalid declarations and 12 absences of phytosanitarian certificates were registered in 2018 - the volume of imports has grown by 20% since 2014, and fewer interceptions of harmful organisms in Europhyt are recorded (13 in 2018, 10 in 2017). The main products imported to the EU from China are pomelo (grapefruit) and garlic, as well as kiwi and oranges.

Market trends of the trade between the EU and China

“The trade of agricultural commodities between EU and China has been increasing during the last decade, particularly in terms of exports from the EU,” said Nicolas Dandois, agricultural counsellor, during the conference held with China FVF in Beijing. Indeed, since 2007, imports of agricultural products have grown from €3.5 billion up to €5.6 billion, while exports have risen from €1.8 to €12 billion. The volume of fruit and vegetables exported to China from the EU is not large, and valued €14 million in 2017, while the imports of fresh, chilled and dried vegetables amounted to €622

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million, or 12% of total agri-food imports from China. As for fruits and nuts exported in the same year, their value equalled €386 million, (imports were €99 million). These figures show that Chinese consumers have become more open to new products and also that they care more about food safety, choosing imported produce which they consider safe and ecological.

F&V promotional programmes in the EU

Within the EU, national and local authorities have initiated various programmes aimed at encouraging consumers to choose a healthy diet. “It seems that consumer awareness is going in the right direction,” said Dandois.

According to a survey conducted by Eurobarometer, 58% of respondents believe that eating a healthy diet means eating more fruit and vegetables. However, although per capita consumption of fruit and vegetable in certain countries is high (203kg, 197kg and 191kg respectively in Greece, Romania and Cyprus), average consumption in the EU has remained stagnant since 2010 (125kg per capita annually). The reasons are manifold: substitution by other products, price-sensitivity, changes in consumer habits, fast food, etc.

An EU programme focused on schools was launched in 2017 to support the distribution of fruit, vegetables and milk to schools across the European Union, giving priority to local, organic and sustainable products. Let’s all hope this will help to boost their consumption.

4– 6 Sep 2019

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA

www.asiafruitlogistica.com

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United Kingdom: a promising market for organic produce?

British consumers are very demanding: they want innovation in their food and are willing to pay a premium for quality and green practices. However, their decision to leave the EU could make trade in fresh produce more complicated.

T

he UK’s organic market is smaller than other European markets. In Germany, organic sales represent 5.2% of the total market, in France, the figure is 3.5%, but in the UK, the organic food market is only 1.5% of the total. Despite previously enjoying robust growth, the impact of the 2008 financial crisis lead to the market shrinking, as shoppers reduced expenditure by avoiding ‘unnecessary’ purchases. The organic market has slowly recovered and is now growing once more and is worth more than it was at its pre-crisis peak. Several factors might explain the sluggish growth. There is no large supermarket chain that specialises in organics (the main ones being Whole Foods Market and Planet Organic, each with fewer than 10 stores). Also, there are many attributes competing for the attention of the British shopper: local (the Red Tractor label), free range, sustainable fisheries, animal wellbeing, fair trade, etc.

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL Looking at the market data, according to Kantar Worldpanel, organic fresh produce sales total £250 million. Sales of organic fresh produce are growing

at a faster rate than the overall market, and are 40% higher than they were four years ago. So, the trend is very positive. While general consumer confidence has dropped (due to Brexit, austerity and stagnant household incomes), there is a genuine interest in physical wellbeing, and consumers are buying more products that promise health for them and for the planet. Organics, and especially fresh produce, are very well positioned to fulfil this need.

an authenticity and a direct relationship with producers that distinguish them from grocers.

WHAT WILL BREXIT BRING TO THE SECTOR?

The UK currently imports 40% of the food it consumes, but Brexit may well influence the decisions of firms looking to export to the UK. The worst-case scenario of a hard Brexit will create severe disruption to trade. Borders will be reinstated, meaning checks WHO BUYS ORGANIC AND WHERE? and paperwork, and there will be work to do in gaining Around 63% of households purchased organic fresh mutual recognition of organic labels. However, a less produce last year. Typically, it is affluent households dramatic end to the Brexit issue will have a relatively that buy organic produce, especially ones with child- small effect on trade. The potential effect on demand ren. Millennial shoppers, although usually less af- must also be considered: the steady drop in consufluent, are another very promising target for organics, mer confidence will affect purchasing decisions, as they value the environment and green products, although more affluent households might not be afsuch as organics. The main retail channel for organic fected. Moreover, the nationalistic feelings that Brexit fresh produce is the supermarket, which dominates fosters will affect all types of consumers and will lead household food purchases. Each supermarket has to a stronger emotional of buying British. In that case, its own private label for organic products, and some, the country’s agriculture sector will need to produce like Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, trade on the values more. Indeed, we can already see farmers asking the associated with organics. Another channel, albeit a UK Government to consider food security policies in the wake of Brexit, with ramped much smaller one, is e-commerce. The British shopper up domestic production and less buys almost 7% of groceries reliance on imported food. online where they purchase Overall, we can be positive about the same mix of products as •Germany: 5.2% the prospects for organic fresh in physical stores. The British produce in the UK. Brexit may •France: 3.5% are happy to purchase fresh slow down growth if consumer produce online, attracted by •UK: 1.5% confidence continues to fall, but the added convenience of the the organic sector has shown inchannel and the guarantee that if they don’t like the credible resilience and recovered well from the 2008 product, they can get a refund, with no questions as- financial crisis. The growing demand for healthy and ked. Agents like Abel & Cole and Riverford Organics sustainable products in the UK will surely lead to a deliver weekly boxes to British households, offering bright future for the sector.

Share of organics in fresh produce sales

DERRICK JENKINS VP of Produce and Floral, Wakefern Food Corp.

He’s always on the search for new products.

We’re always giving him access to them.

We help Derrick create innovative marketing and merchandising strategies. He’s introduced to new products and global insights that allow his company to adapt to the future.

Visit PMA.com to learn more about the resources we tailor to our members.

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Advertorial

Primavia, innovation in the transport sector Primavia is a partnership of two of the sector’s most innovative companies: the international road transportation company, Primafrio, and VIIA, the rail motorway operator of the French group SNCF. Primavia focuses on international multi modal transport - a combination of road and rail transport of perishable goods between Spain and Europe.

T

he main objective of this union is to transport fruit and vegetable trucks by train via a service that guarantees fast, ecological and responsible transport. This ensures the company is

keeping its commitment to the environment, while responding to customer demands and the current challenges of the sector.

Primavia provides the transport of fruit and vegetable trucks by train from Spain to Europe. It operates on the first rail motorway leaving Spain, from Barcelona to Betemburgo, together with the lines that have already been developed in other European destinations, such as le Boulou-Calais and le Boulou-Luxembourg.

Work on this pioneering project has been ongoing for over two years. It allows an average of five HuckePack semi-trailers to be loaded each day onto the train. The railway subsidiary uses HuckePack trailer services (50 of them) and 50 standard refrigerated trailers.

This innovative project by Primavia optimises transportation, reduces environmental impact and improves safety.

For more information, contact via email: info@primavia.es

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DP World, invests over US$250 million in the Dominican Republic

D

ubai Port World is the third largest port operator in the world. For the past 15 years, it has been the only port with 100% private investment in the Dominican Republic. In 2018, it moved around 1.3 million TEUs, of which 60% was cargo in transit, while the remaining 40% remained in the country, accounting for 62% of the country’s full market share.

«This was possible thanks to the various investments made in the port, such as an area for logistics warehouses called the Caucedo Logistics Center. In this primary zone, despite the cargo being inside the country, it does not yet have to deal with the Dominican authorities. The cargo that is stored in these warehouses can be in a tax-suspension regime for up to one year, renewable every six months. In the meantime, transfer operations can be carried out, as long as the product’s tariff is not altered,» said Emmanuel

Coss, commercial analyst. From this year up to 2021, DP World will make investments of over US$250 million, including the extension of the 622-metre pier to one kilometre and the acquisition of four super Post-Panamax cranes of 150 metres in height. The port is open water and 17 metres deep. To handle fresh products, the company has installed a Reefer Monitoring System which allows an alert to be sent every two hours to the owner of the cargo (while it is connected to the port) regarding the temperature of the container, thus guaranteeing the quality of the products. «We are the gateway to the Caribbean; we have the best connectivity in the region. Of the 22 islands, we reach 28 on a weekly basis; we are three days from the US, four from Mexico, five from Costa Rica, and we have direct services with Europe,» said Coss.

»»GoGlobal

unveils new ‘Roots-to-Go’ app South African logistics expert GoGlobal continues to innovate by offering an ever-improving range of IT solutions to its customers.

The firm’s information and support division, GoIntell, has just developed a new software application called ‘Root-to-Go’. Company director Delena Engelbrecht said, “This software informs our customers through a dashboard of stock levels, how many containers are sitting in a ship for more than four days, the status of their doorto-door cargo, and so on. They can follow their stock level from the pack house all the way through to the destination. All of these services have been developed in response to the needs of our clients.

When clients wanted to keep track of their livelihood, we rose to the challenge, building an all-encompassing software solution which provides not only live tracking of container movements and push notifications to advise exceptions no matter where they are, but the ability to make a booking on the app anywhere in the world. Two years ago, Go Global invested in cold storage rooms, which are already working at full capacity. During the citrus season, 40 million cartons are stored in the state of the art facility.

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EU ranks second largest market for organics EU organic production continues to expand in line with demand.

Patterns of demand and distribution channels vary across Member States. New legislation to come into force to create fairer conditions for all.

EU ORGANIC AREA EXPANDS 70% IN 10 YEARS Organic farming responds to a specific consumer demand for sustainable food products, promoting more sustainable farming practices and contributing to the protection of the environment and improved animal welfare. This growing demand for organic products is matched by a rapidly growing production: EU organic area has increased by 70% in the last ten years. On average, the area of land dedicated to organic farming in the EU increased by 5.6% per year over the period 2007-2017. Leading the way in organic agriculture in terms of overall production area are the four giants: Spain, Italy, France and Germany, with a combined area accounting for over half of the EU’s production. However, as a proportion of organic in total agricultural land, the leading countries are Austria (23%), Estonia (20%) and Sweden (19%).

The potential for future growth over the next few years is evident when considering the huge area that is currently under conversion to organic agriculture (20% of the 12.6 million ha in 2017). Indeed, in 2017, eleven EU Member States had over 20% of their farming lands under conversion to organic, with another eleven states with between 10% and 20% being undergoing conversion.

I

n 2017, the world’s organic food and drink market was worth €92 billion, with the US alone accounting for 47% of the total, followed by the EU (37%, €34.3 billion). The EU market has grown at a rapid pace (11% in 2017), doubling in size over the past ten years. Within Europe, the penetration of organic food is not uniform across the Member States.

The largest markets for organics are Germany (€10 billion, 5.1% of total retail sales) and France (€7.9 billion, 4.4%). The organic markets of Denmark and Sweden continue to expand, by 15% and 9% respectively in 2017. With 13.3% penetration, Denmark has the world’s highest level of integration of organics.

Austria, too, is growing strongly, rising 12% in 2017 to reach 8.6% of total retail sales. In contrast, the organics markets of other Member States are less developed, including Spain (2.8%), Italy (3.2%) the Czech Republic (0.9%), Latvia (1.5%) and Lithuania (1%). However, these markets are now starting to really expand, with growth slightly above average in Spain (16%) and Italy (8%).

On average, Europeans spent €67 a head on organics in 2017, compared to €29 in 2007. Organic fresh fruit and vegetables are a major driver of consumption, with organic products now accounting for over 10% of F&V consumption in Austria, Denmark and Sweden, and enjoying continued growth.

SUPERMARKETS REPRESENT MAIN DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL The patterns of distribution of organic foods through the various retail channels differ greatly between

Member States. In many EU countries, supermarkets dominate the organic distribution market, with over 75 % in Austria, Denmark and Sweden. However, in Portugal and Spain, distribution is mainly through specialist stores. The different appears to depend on the penetration of organics in each country. Where organic products are an integral part of the shopping basket (Sweden, Austrian and Denmark), they are easily accessible through the conventional distribution chains; but where organic food is still perceived as a niche market, it is mainly sold in specialist stores.

QUESTIONS OF PACKAGING Packaging of organics has become a controversial topic, given that much of this food is sold in non-environmentally-friendly wrapping such as polywrap and metal. In fact, legislation requires organic products to be packaged to prevent their mixing with non-organic products, but customers are increasingly demanding this is done following a greener approach. Indeed, environmentally friendly

NEW EU LEGISLATION TO ENSURE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD In 2021, the EU will introduce new legislation aimed at levelling the playing field in the organic sector targeting EU production and imported organic products.

The current legislation, which is deemed unfair, allows Member States to grant derogations from production rules on an ad hoc basis, while rules for imported organic products can also differ from those set outlined by EU legislation, as long as these are considered ‘equivalent’ or are certified organic. The new regulation will provide uniformity in the rules for all players. Imported goods will have to comply with the same production and control rules as those in force in the EU. The greater simplification provided by the reform will spare small farmers the burdensome costs of multiple certifications through a group certification scheme. It will also be possible to obtain an exemption from spot controls if a holding has enjoyed a clean record for three consecutive years.

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»»Bioplanet

an ecological alternative Bioplanet is a cooperative that breeds useful insects. These insects are used on crops (mainly vegetables) to fight other harmful insects and do not require the use of pesticides. «Using biological control, we can thus avoid the use of 60% to 80% of pesticides,” said Marco Menegatti, founding partner of the company. One of Bioplanet’s innovations is Trichopria, an insect used to fight Drosophila Suzukii. Trichopria is an antagonist used across a territory which occupies the space invaded by the drosophila and thus drives it away. Bioplanet has been developing biological solutions since 1985. Starting with a small warehouse in a garage, today the company can boast five hectares in which it breeds insects and sells its products all over the world. The firm sells 49% of its products to the Italian market, with the rest exported to Europe, Canada, Russia and the Balkan countries. Bioplanet is the Italian leader in breeding insects and useful mites for the biological defense of agricultural crops.

»»Prince de Bretagne promotes environmental initiatives

“We are proud to be France’s leading producer of organic produce in terms of volume,” said Marine Bougeard, product manager of Prince de Bretagne. The brand’s organic line is very diverse and comprises more than 85 vegetables, including artichokes, Coco de Paimpol beans, Roscoff onions, yesteryear vegetables, and many more specialties. “Our growers have been developing this line for 20 years, and the number of such growers has increased and will soon reach 100 farmers,” said Bougeard.

Prince de Bretagne’s growers are greatly concerned about the environment; thus, many of them participate willingly in the cultivating without pesticides programme, which includes a range of tomatoes, broccoli and squash; product managers have designed special packaging for reducing the use of plastics. The Prince de Bretagne brand was created in 1970 to give a clear identity and emphasise the regional heritage of the vegetables produced along Brittany’s northern coast. The high-quality brand includes 147 different vegetables produced by the 2,000 producers from six cooperatives. The vegetables are traded in France and most European countries and are exported to markets as distant as Asia and North America.

»»Biobest

presents natural SPYRO® insecticide Biobest Group has launched a new insecticide based on natural pyrethrins and PBO (piperonyl butoxide) for use with tomato, pepper, cucumber, aubergine and courgette productions. SPYRO® was authorised for use in the Netherlands by the Dutch Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb) at the end of March 2019. This authorisation is a welcome solution for the Dutch greenhouse horticulture, which has seen existing pyrethrin-based products disappear from the market in recent years. PelGar International manufactures the product and is the registration holder of SPYRO®. Biobest Group is a specialist in the field of pollination and biological control of diseases and pests. The firm holds the exclusive distribution rights in the Netherlands for SPYRO®, which will be available from mid-June.

»»Almaverde Bio

develops chain of organic products Almaverde Bio is fast becoming the best supply chain of organic products in Italy: «We have 23 years of experience in the organic world and we want to become a production chain: today there are many new competitors who, alongside conventional products, offer organics, but without creating a supply chain. Our strength lies instead in having the factories in the production areas and this allows us to take the best that is available and make serious, controlled and certified organic products.

Examples range from white, red and black seedless table grapes to the SFT Cooperative apples of Trento, with varieties like Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji and Candine. This line will soon be joined by a second line of biodynamic producers, for which there is already a wide consumer base,” said director, Ernesto Fornari. The firm’s presence in the production areas allows it to directly manage the supply through dedicated departments and lines, and thereby ensure quality levels. This logic extends to other sectors, too, as seen with the experience of Coop Sole, with its more than 30 hectares cultivated with the best varieties of strawberries, such as Melissa, its white and red salads, its melons and its mini-watermelons. Another example is the production in Sicily of organic lemons and the new line of cherry, datterini and pear tomatoes. Almaverde Bio is the brand of Almaverde Bio Italia, a consortium that combines 10 Italian agribusiness companies with a proven track record in the organic sector. Almaverde Bio Italia is tasked with developing communication strategies and brand promotion using the resources provided by its member companies, which are exclusive licensees of the brand for their merchandise. Founded in 2000, Almaverde Bio is today recognised as the leading organic brand in Italy and boasts a unique range of products, suitable for all commercial channels.

»»AgricolliBio

develops sustainable packaging with laser sticker AgricolliBio has invested in 100% sustainable packaging, whereby even a product recognition sticker becomes superfluous: «From the beginning of 2019, we started to eliminate all the plastic from our packaging by using paper trays and biodegradable film for our trays. We believe it is the most logical and coherent thing to do since our company is entirely dedicated to organic farming. But the most significant change is the sticker we are placing on our products, which, instead of being made of plastic, will consist of a laser print with zero environmental impact,” said sales managers, Tania Incerti and Francesca Pennacchia. In a market like the organic market, which is constantly growing in all commodity sectors, even non-food, AgricolliBio always aims to achieve the highest quality and safety of its products.

This is the case with its green and yellow kiwis, which in 2020, will be joined by a small production of red kiwis (200 tons). The firm’s produce is mainly destined for foreign markets: 50% of company turnover in fact comes from overseas exports to countries such as the United States, Canada, Taiwan and China, while 10% is destined for Italy and 40% ends up in European markets, particularly those with a developed organic sector, such as Scandinavia, Germany, France, Austria and, to a lesser extent, the UK and the Netherlands. Founded in 2013 in Sezze (Latina), Agricolli Bio is specialises in the production and marketing of organics. In addition to green and yellow varieties of kiwi, the firm has diversified to add different types of fresh fruit, dried fruit, rhizomes and tubers from Peru, stone fruit, apples, pears, grapes, exotic fruits, vegetables and aromatic herbs.

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SPECIAL REPORT Africa

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Climate change: challenge or opportunity for Africa?

Africa’s fruit exporters are taking on the world, with mixed success. However, the continent will have severe issues to overcome as the effects of global warming are felt.

T

he global fresh fruit and vegetables trade is greatly affected by the growth and stability of world markets, as well as by such factors as world population growth and climate change. Therefore, it is worth evaluating the impact of the African continent on the global fruit trade.

The data agency of the United Nations, ITC, provides an insight into the behaviour of African fruit exporting countries in the world market. Bananas, citrus, apples, grapes and tropical fruits are the most traded fruit commodities. However, Africa is still a relatively

minor exporter of these fruit, with the exception of citrus exports, which represent 23% of the global citrus trade. Africa’s grape exports account for 9% of the world’s trade in this fruit.

WHAT FRUIT DOES AFRICA EXPORT? Only the French and UK consumers appear to be aware that Africa also exports bananas, with Ivory Coast and Cameroon the leading exporting countries.

The latter suffered in 2018 from political turmoil and reduced exports by 7%. Mozambique and Angola are the newcomers, with gains of 29% in exports to the Middle East and other neighbouring countries.

Africa has citrus production in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Egypt is gaining marketshare in the EU with its oranges, competing on prices with local production from Spain and Greece. South Africa is fast diversifying with new varieties of soft citrus and lemons, and, during the summer, it is the leader in grapefruit exports. Morocco’s own late variety of soft citrus, called Nadorcott, is showing good results, and exports continue growing, especially to its stable partner Russia. During winter, Europe buys grapes from South Africa and Namibia. In 2018, there was no growth as the crop suffered continuing droughts.

In Egypt, exports were down 17% due to difficulties in planting new varieties in time.

Africa’s pineapple-exporting countries have lost the battle with Costa Rica, the world’s uncontested leader with the sweet MD2 variety. Africa’s Cayenne Lice was

Africa’s fruit exports have grown by 10% over the last five years, and by 6% in 2018 alone. The continent has a 9% share of the global market.

unable to compete on price and organoleptic quality.

Dates and figs, which are so important fruit for Muslim consumers during Ramadan, can be bought from Tunisia, which consolidated it leadership. In the past five years, South Africa has seen a rise in its avocado exports. South Africa is the continent’s only major apple- and pear-exporting country. However, exporters faced the same problems as grape exporters with drought.

Europe buys huge volumes of melons and watermelons from Morocco, to the discontent of Spanish growers. Over the last five years, volumes have increased by 60% In summary, Africa’s fruit exports have grown by 10% over the last five years, and by 6% in 2018 alone. The continent has a 9% share of the global market, with three countries (South Africa, Egypt and Morocco) accounting for two-thirds of the market. Other countries are trying to enter the niche markets of dates, avocados and mangos. The oranges of Eswatini (former Swaziland) are facing difficulties entering ports for export.

GLOBAL WARMING AND FARMING The African fruit industry is well aware of the effects of global warming on agriculture food production, especially on fruit colouring. Global warming is a long-term rise in the average temperatures of the Earth’s climate system, an aspect of climate change shown by temperature measurements and by multiple effects of the

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warming. In the modern context, the terms “global warming” and “climate change” are commonly used interchangeably, but climate change includes both global warming and its effects, such as changes in rainfall patterns and other effects. These differ from region to region. The term “global warming” also refers to the observed and continuing increase in average air and ocean temperatures since 1900 caused mainly by emissions of greenhouse gasses in the modern industrial economy.

Projections show that by the end of this century, global temperatures will increase by 1.8 to 4.0 °C, with an overall average increase of 2.8 °C. This will affect plant vigour and fruit bearing ability, leading to smaller fruit sizes, poor colour development, poor internal quality (e.g. juice content), and shorter shelf-life. Pest pressures will also increase as temperatures rise. The extent of the impact will differ from region to region.

Africa SPECIAL REPORT

Fruit Exports World vs Africa

WE HAVE TO LOOK PAST COLOUR Sufficient colour development is fast becoming one of the major obstacles that farmers are facing today. In general, rind or peel colour is enhanced by low temperatures and inhibited by high temperatures. In regions where day and night temperatures are escalating, farmers have to resort to artificial means to achieve the desired colouring specified by standards. This is not ideal as it not only adds cost to the value chain but also perpetuates the unnecessary use of chemicals which are problematic and unwanted in the international markets. Going forward, it will be increasingly difficult to justify the use of sufficient colour development as an indicator of product maturity.

Fruit, for example, can be sufficiently developed internally with good eating quality but with poor external colour.

Is the giant continent of Africa prepared to meet the new challenges?

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BANANA

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CORPEI promotes Ecuadorian production CORPEI promotes productive competitiveness and better insertion of Ecuador in international markets

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stablished by law in 1997, CORPEI began operating in 1998 as the official export promotion agency of Ecuador until 2010 when ProEcuador was created. It is now part of the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade and Investment. In 2010, CORPEI reinvented itself and continues to represent the export sectors of Ecuador, in addition to its main objective, which is to provide services that promote productive competitiveness and better insertion of the country and its companies in international markets.

Its board of directors consists of representatives from the public and private sectors, thereby constituting an ideal space to articulate the interests of both. Luis Montoya Vega, manager of CORPEI CAPITAL, said, “We currently have two main lines of work: the first is CORPEI Consulting, where we offer consultancy and serve as an advisor or a strategic ally of the public and private sectors to generate solutions that strengthen development, accompanying investments or project management for the benefit of the country. The second line is CORPEI Capital, where we focus on commercial promotion, offering incentives for com-

panies to help them in their internationalisation, as well as with capital, participating in joint ventures for certain projects.” Developing innovations to improve competitiveness is a challenge that the institution is currently facing. “Although there are very specific sectors that have made progress in this regards, we have not been an innovative country general speaking. The small or medium-sized farmer still does not see the advantages of investing in new technologies, so we are evaluating options for grouping companies so as

»»Agzulasa

diversifies products and destinations to maintain market share “Agzulasa is a family business, that’s the most important thing,” said Marianela Ubilla, the firm’s general manager. The company currently has 800 hectares of its own banana production, with a capacity to produce 40,000 boxes per week. This represents 20% of the total volume that Agzulasa exports, which reaches 200,000 boxes per week. The remaining 80% is purchased from third parties. “We have been able to build loyalty among suppliers thanks to our professionalism and the different markets we supply. With containerisation and technology we are able to access destinations that were previously unthinkable and that is how we have developed a very well distributed market share,” said Ubilla. Asia receives 35% of the volume, with 30% sent to Russia in breakbaulk. Indeed, Ubilla highlighted the importance of the Russian market, which “represents 23% of all the fruit exported by Ecuador, despite a decrease of 1.5% this year.”

Argentina is an interesting destination for Agzulasa, representing 8% of its cargo. Similarly, the Middle East (10%) is also a key destination, with 30 containers of produce arriving in Saudi Arabia and the port of Mersin to be distributed in Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Africa is a new destination that has opened up for Ecuadorian bananas.

Despite the informality and lack of contracts, the continent is buying fruit. Special packaging for customers and new products such as plantain, baby banana and purple banana have allowed the company to reach markets such as South Korea and the United States.

to reduce the burden of these costs somewhat and so they can see the benefits of implementing these changes,” said Montoya Vega.

“Part of our success is that we are able to coordinate external financing programmes,” said Montoya Vega.

One such example is Export Des, a € 5.3 million project programme created from the trade agreement signed between Ecuador and the EU in 2016, whose objective is to support development in Ecuador and create formal work through the internationalisation of Ecuadorian MIPYMES. The focus is on strengthening its presence in the European market through the effective implementation of the opportunities provided by the Multiparty Trade Agreement with the European Union. Moreover, the organisation supports 100 Ecuadorian MYPYMES to enable them to internationalise their exportable offer in the European market through tools for packaging, labelling, quality, promotion and communication. The key is to promote working collaboratively.

»“Soprisa »Soprisa seeks to increase share in Chinese and Arab markets is a proudly Ecuadorian company,” said Ahmed Valencia, president of Grupo Valencia, to which Soprisa belongs, along with its sister companies Banasoft and Diversifacil. It is a banana producing company that, with 800 hectares certified GLOBALG.A.P. was founded 12 years ago to develop international markets. In addition to its own farms, it has associated farms that meet the quality and technology specifications required by its clients. At present, its export markets include Russia, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Egypt and China - a market where it expects to establish itself better in the future. Valencia said, “Over the years, we have seen changes and an evolution in the markets, and those that were previously not large markets in volume terms have begun to grow.” In 2018, Soprisa’s exports reached 3.5-4 million boxes. The aim for 2019 is to match that volume or even to increase it. This will be done not by developing new markets, but by positioning the firm better and increasing its participation in its current markets, such as in Arab countries. “There are a number of exogenous factors that affect the business and make each year different,” said Valencia. Soprisa has recently worked on renewing the presentation of the boxes as the Banasoft, Banafood and Banava brands are highly appreciated. “Ultimately, we sell bananas. But the product is more than just that - it is the quality of the box, an appropriate packaging, and a good image.”

Novamerc: innovation, new markets and certifications for 2019

Banana expert, Novamerc, expects plenty of challenges in 2019, with the introduction of new technology, innovation in processes, certifications and the development of new markets. “We have decided to change from our previously very passive approach to business,” said Claudia Gómez Broos, the Ecuadorian company’s commercial manager.

The most distinctive characteristic of Novamerc is that it is a women’s company that started 26 years ago as an exporter of bananas under the name Silverfruit. Today, Novamerc is both the flagship brand for its organic and conventional export products and the business’ name. Novamerc exports 25,000 boxes of bananas per week from 40-50 Ecuadorian producers. Organic fruit has been gaining strength in the last four years, and this segment now represents 50% of the firm’s sales. The product offer also includes baby banana and red banana. Broos said, “70% of the people who work at Novamerc are women, and women occupy 100% of the management positions. Our two oldest producers are women who have been working with the company for 14 years.” The company’s export markets include Sweden, the most important for organic fruit, Germany, the oldest customer, with whom it has worked for 24 years, Turkey, Iraq, Tunisia, Croatia, Spain, Italy and the US. At the end of 2018, the process got underway for BASC (issued in 2019) and ISO 9001 (in the final phase) certification. This year, the company plans to work with producers to gain GLOBALG.A.P. certification with the add-ons: GRASP and FSMA, and introduce them little by little to Rainforest. In 2017, Novamerc started the Humanitarian Social Responsibility project with the construction of emerging homes. In this project, the contributions of producers, suppliers, German clients, employees and friends are fundamental for improving the lives of the community in which it is located.

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Panama Exporta arrives in Europe to stay Panamanian exporters are seeking to increase their presence in the European market by participating in the recent Fruit Logistica 2019, held every year in Berlin.

O

ver 10 exporters were present with the brand Panama Exporta presenting high quality items such as pineapple, banana, mango and coffee. The Minister of Commerce and Industry of Panama,

Néstor González, pointed out that the European market is very important for Panama. “We want to take full advantage of the benefits offered by the Free Association Agreement with the European Union, especially in products such as the fruits that are in high demanded among Europeans,” said González. “We will continue to participate actively in fairs in Europe, and making contact with European buyers promoting the offer of Panama.”

In this sense, Panama Exporta has opened the Agrocomercial Office in Rotterdam, located in the Panamanian consulate, in order to have a direct link between Panamanian exporters and European buyers, as the port of Rotterdam is one of main gateways to Europe. “We have great expectations with the start of exports by Bañapiña, a subsidiary of Del Monte, in the province of Chiriqui, which is exporting to the United States to start with. We hope that in future we can reach Europe,” said González. The companies that were present in this version of Fruit Logistica included Palmitos Panama (palm hearts), Verba Odrec (pineapples), Panama Organics Sim-

ply Natural Harvest (mango, lemon), Tropical Fruit (pineapples), First Forty Group (pineapple), Coobana (bananas), Gorace (organic products), D’Oficina Panamá (lemon and orange juices), Dolce Pineapple inc. (pineapples), Lafco (pineapples), Latan Investco (pineapples), Apao (vegetables and fruits), Apsecu (watermelons). They all participated in the fair to meet with European buyers and meet the demands of this important market. Minister González added that the country brand Panama Exporta is a programme carried out by the Government of Panama through the Ministries of Trade and Industry and Agricultural Development, in alliance with Panamanian exporters to promote the exportable supply of Panama. The programme includes participation in fairs and international events, training to meet the requirements to enter each market, assistance and advice to establish contacts with buyers, market intelligence, and, most importantly, the provision of an exhibition stand for the products and the spaces at these events.

Ana Raquel Henriquez, National Coordinator of the Commercial Promotion of the Agribusiness Unit of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, said that this institution offers technical assistance to Panamanian producers and prepares them to reach the export stage. “Our goal is for Panamanian producers that already export to be able to expand their markets, and for new producers to begin exporting,” said Henriquez. To date, more than 37 Panamanian companies are already exporting with the Panama Exporta brand, with products such as craft beer, vinegar, pasta, paint, vanilla, fish, shrimp, pineapple, watermelon, papaya,

coffee, squash, shrimp feed, and banana. These products have reached markets such as Switzerland, Germany, Dubai, the United States, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Holland, the UK, Costa Rica, the Caribbean islands, among others.

NEW AGRO-COMMERCIAL OFFICE IN EUROPE The MIDA and the MICI have a very direct relationship with producers and look for real business opportunities, both nationally and internationally, identifying potential buyers or organising commercial promotional actions to generate business meetings. To this end, the MICI opened an agribusiness office five months ago in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and is about to open another in Shanghai, China. “Through these offices, we try to promote our products in international markets, look for new opportunities and raise awareness of our exportable offer,” said José Rincón, head of agribusiness at MIDA.

Russia, a promising and challenging market

R

ussia is a market full of opportunities - the 8th largest grocery market globally - but also challenges! Mohammed Abbas, Del Monte’s vice-president, said, “Our focus is modern retail, a segment that represents 70% of the market, 24% of which belongs to the top-five retailers. By addressing this key target and working with insured companies, not only does Del Monte reduce its risks, but it benefits from good brand exposure with its end consumers.”

Del Monte has learned two important lessons from its experience in Russia: to be patient, as contracts are complicated and might delay operations; and to be persistent, as local buyers can be quite conservative and reluctant to change their habits. For example, they would tend to prefer Ecuadorian bananas over other sources and consider pineapples as “New Year fruit” or fruit for decoration.

Del Monte’s strategy is based on three key pillars.

Firstly, it plans to increase its product range: Del Monte has started cooperating with one of the largest

importers of bananas in Russia and hopes thus to develop brand awareness and get Russian buyers accustomed to bananas from Costa-Rica. Del Monte is also considering other products such as Jet Fresh pineapples, figs, herbs and other exotic fruit shipped by air. Secondly, Del Monte offers additional solutions, such as customisation, which is ever more requested, as opposed to fruit shipped in standard packaging.

Indeed, Del Monte offers various types of consumer packs for bananas. Another additional solution are the Del Monte Pineapple peeling stations. These provide strong support to accompany long-term programmes for pineapples. The impact of peeling pineapples at a live station in front of customers can increase sales ten-fold. Thirdly, the firm plans to extend its geographical coverage. This includes the Vladivostok market and CIS countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan.

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PRODUCE

Melons

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Brazil aims to ship more melons to China The major European supplier has also made big improvements in its cold chain

B

razilian melon growers have designs on the massive Chinese market as they seek to diversify their exports this year. Amid oversupply in their main market of Europe, they see scope to sell more to China.

«The development of new markets is of vital importance and we’re making great progress in negotiations with our Chinese counterparts,» says Luiz Roberto Barcelos, chairman of Abrafrutas (the Brazilian Fruit Growers and Exporters Association). Brazil is a major supplier of melons to Europe during the northern winter but in the last few years has faced a difficult market, especially for sales of yellow honeydew in the continent, with oversupply in Holland in particular and the UK as well. At the same time, economic crisis in Brazil has seen melon consumption fall there, resulting in growers shipping more fruit to Europe. Abrafrutas has been working hard to open up new trade avenues, something also promoted under the fruit plantation development plan launched by the Brazilian government in 2018. The key obstacles for Brazilian melon exports to China are the shipping costs and the country’s very strict quarantine regulations. On the latter, Barcelos said the countries are close to agreement on a protocol. He said China grows very different varieties to those in Brazil. “The idea is to supply them what they call rockmelon but we call the cantaloupe.” “In the middle of May, I’m going to China with the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture Tereza Cristina to try to conclude the protocol. We are exchanging the Brazilian melon for the Chinese pear. Our risk analysis for the Chinese pear

is ready but for our melon, the Chinese are requiring a cold temperature treatment for Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) larvae. However, our melon is not a host for this pest and the treatment would damage the fruit. Also, it was not a requirement in the Chinese melon protocols for the US and Chile, so we are continuing to negotiate over this.” Meanwhile, Barcelos said efforts by the new government in Brazil to improve the local economy could see a recovery of consumer confidence making the domestic market good for melons as well and thereby also reducing the oversupply to Europe.

COLD CHAIN NOW STRETCHES FROM FARM TO FOREIGN MARKET Brazil is the third biggest fresh fruit producer in the world after China and India but 23rd among exporters because 97% of its fruit stays in the country, though for melons it exports more than half its output. Last year it saw growth of 9% in the value of fresh produce exported and an increase of 15% in volume, with the top products being mango and melons. It shipped melons worth US $240 million, mainly to Europe. The UK is its top European fruit market, then come Holland, Germany and Spain, with its main European ports of call being Tilbury, Rotterdam and Algeciras. At the Fruit Logistica Logistics Hub in Berlin in February, Barcelos, who is also co-founder and institutional director of Agricola Famosa Ltda, a Brazilian melon producer and exporter, said Brazil has made big improvements in its melon cold chain. Speaking in a forum on waste management, he said in the last few years, the country’s investment in post harvest technology and reefer transport has cut waste a lot. All Agricola Famosa pack houses now have cold chambers, and generators in case of power loss. Within two hours of harvest, the fruit is in the chamber and “the sooner it gets

cold, the better its shelf-life.” When the melons used to be loaded as break bulk cargo, “quality issues and waste were a common problem.” The move to reefers means that once the containers are filled on the farms, they are not opened again until with the client, hence they have less exposure to ambient temperature and the cold chain is maintained. “Another advantage of containers is that we can easily set different temperatures for each variety loaded. “We have five different types of melon and each needs a different temperature,” he said.

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Strong growth in demand for imported melon in Europe Value of global trade increased 2% between 2014 and 2018, with the US market absorbing almost twice as much as the next largest importer, the Netherlands.

T

he world’s melon trade dipped slightly in 2018 to 2.16 million tons from the 2017 volume of 2.3 million tons. Meanwhile, the value of the sector’s trade increased by 1% to US$1.86 billion, according to International Trade Center data. Despite having a relatively high import tariff (7.5%), the US remained far and away the largest market for the world’s melon exports, accounting for 21.6% (worth US$402.9 million), followed by the Netherlands (11.2%), France (10.1%), the UK (9.7%), Germany (8.9%) and Canada (5.5%). In the four-year period between 2014 and 2018, global imports rose 2%. Over the same period, the value of imports to the US increased by 5%, despite an 8% fall in 2018.

Other markets growing over the four-year period are the UK (2%) and Germany (3%). In 2018 alone, German melon imports rocketed 17%, while the UK’s market was worth 8% more than in the previous year. The import tariff applied on melons arriving in the EU is 2.6%, while Canada applies no tariffs on its melon imports.

European melon exports rise while Central America’s fall The world’s largest exporter of melons in 2018 was Spain, with a 19.9% share of the global market. Next comes Guatemala (13%), followed by the Netherlands (10.8%), Honduras (10.6%), the US (7.6%), Brazil (7.5%), Mexico (4.4%) and China (4.3%). Spain’s melon exports totalled 291,500 tons in 2018 and were worth US$361.4 million. This represented an increase of 11% over the previous year. Many of the Spaniards’ rivals saw a fall in their shipments. Guatemala’s fell by 5% to US$235.7 million, and Honduran shipments dropped by 3%. Meanwhile, there was a significant decline in shipments from Brazil (-16%), Mexico (-18%) and China (-22%). Despite the poor 2018 season for the Hondurans, between 2014 and 2018, the country registered the largest increase in the value of its melon exports (+10%), followed by the Netherlands (+5%), Guatemala (+4%) and Spain (+2%). »»Source: International Trade Center

Importers in 2018 (USD 000)

USA

Netherlands France

UK

Germany Canada

Spain

Exporters in 2018 (USD 000)

Spain

Guatemala Netherlands Honduras

USA

Brazil

Mexico

5 cm.

5 cm.

FRANCESCON O.P. Soc. Cons. a.r.l.

Via Retenago, 13 - 46040 Rodigo (MN) Italy Tel. +39 0376650727 - Fax +39 0376684777 www.melonifrancescon.it

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»»Melon Mantovano PGI

PRODUCE

»»Francescon

aims for 7,000 tons

focus on availability over the entire season

Volumes of the Melon Mantovano PGI in 2019 will be higher than last year: this is the forecast of the Consortium for the Protection of the Melon Mantovano PGI, despite the weather changes near harvest time. “Our expectation for 2019 is an increase in production volumes compared to 2018, reaching up to 7,000 tons of product. We expect a campaign with ups and downs: the season has already started poorly in Sicily, with prices unfortunately downward. But, by the time we start in the Po Valley, we hope for an improvement in conditions. The latest frosts have certainly not helped as they negatively affect ripening, which forces us to keep the fruit on the plant longer and thus conditions quality,» said the organisation’s president, Mauro Aguzzi. The Consortium itself aims to expand in the future. Its founding members currently cultivate a combined area of around 2,000 hectares of melon between the provinces of Mantua and Cremona.

But by 2019, other producers are expected to join, which are currently being certified for PGI production.

The Pearl Nera seedless watermelon is the star of Francescon’s 2019 season: « Growing surface of Perla Nera is constantly increasing, leading us for this season to ship out around 1,000 lorries of produce. Perla Nera stands out for its tasty and crunchy flesh, and its medium sizes (4-56) makes it ideal for singles and small families » said export manager, Margherita Avigni. Besides Perla Nera, Francescon continues growing Cantaloupe Melons – netted with and without stripe, as well as smooth skin type – covering consumer’s demand over almost the entire year: from end February till end April with Senegal origin, May window with Sicily origin, to then continue from June till end September/beginning October with North Italy origin. Francescon company represents a strategic partner for Large-Scale Retailers in Italy and abroad thanks to large volume - around 35/40,000 tons of produce over the season – and the many varieties of Cantaloupe melon available over the entire season.

On the other hand, some other specific varieties of Cantaloupe are particularly suitable for their sweet taste - but not excessively so – and the very firm texture - not too juicy – which make it ideal for the processing industry. From humble beginnings on a small patch of land in Mantua in 1968, we’ve grown to become Italy’s largest producer of melons and watermelons, and a major European supermarket chain supplier. We are committed in growing and carrying the produce to our customers with the deepest respect for our land, our workers and the melon quality itself. Our everyday goal is merging our love for the land we have been cultivating for all these years with customers’ expectations. The company numbers: 2300 cultivated hectares (in Italy and abroad), 35/40 millions of melons produced, 4 millions of watermelons produced, over 50 years of production (1968-2018).

»»Don Camillo brings Lelis melon to the market »»Gruppo Mundial

presents Red Falcon - a quality melon with a red label The Red Falcon melon is a very high quality fruit produced by the Mundial Group for the 2019 season with a red stamp: “We distribute our Red Falcon variety of melon exclusively in Italy. It is a peerless product which has no real competitors in the melon sector. Produced in Sicily, in an ideal area between Palma di Montechiaro, Licata and Butera as far as Ispica, the fruit has a red flesh, a high Brix content that never falls below 15-16 degrees, and a good shelf life. Its season starts in late April and covers all of June. The red stamp is synonymous with quality and also indicates a series of precise controls that make it a melon with almost zero residue,” said the firm’s president, Domenico Raneri. Through a series of meetings with producers and rigorous controls of the characteristics and size of the product, the Mundial Group aims to constantly improve its production, which is currently destined in large part for the Italian wholesale markets and supermarkets, with a small export quota to the EU area, where medium-small melons are much sought after. The result is a highly competitive product that this year is excellent in terms of quality.

Established in 2006 in Licata (Agrigento), Gruppo Mundial is a consortium of Sicilian companies (currently eight), which exclusively cultivate around 900 hectares of the Red Falcon variety of melon under the common Mundial brand.

The Mundial melon is an orange flesh variety with very good taste - a true masterpiece of the Italian fruit and vegetable sector with a controlled supply chain.

Thanks to the group of Sicilian companies, selected for their many years of cultivation, processing and packaging experience, the highest levels of quality are guaranteed. The companies produce in compliance with the natural rules of cultivation and a carefully controlled supply chain to guarantee quality and food safety up to the final consumer.

In the 2019 season, the first lots of Lelis will arrive on the market. Lelis is the new melon brand on which Don Camillo has been working since 2013: “Lelis is a very important project, which will finally become operational this year. We are talking about a melon with exceptional characteristics, both in terms of taste and in terms of preservation and aesthetics. Not large in size, it has the heady scent and taste of the melons of the past, and has a very elegant appearance thanks to its shiny and smooth skin. The product is processed exclusively under this brand and in specific packaging that makes it immediately recognisable,” said the firm’s president, Ettore Cagna. There is currently a production of about 150 hectares, destined for the main markets in which the company operates: Italy and the neighbouring European markets that can be reached with a product of such limited shelf life. Don Camilo also continues work on all varieties to extend shelf life and thus lengthen its export range.

Located in Brescello (Reggio Emilia), Agricola Don Camillo is a melon and watermelon specialist. It is an organisation of producers from all over Italy, with 1,200 hectares of melon cultivation and 200 hectares of seedless watermelons - the latter led to the development of the Camilla seedless in 2017. The company markets over 50,000 tons of melons, mini watermelons, pumpkins and courgettes every year, with a supply chain that starts from the seed and reaches the ripe fruit, to maintain the company’s tradition of quality

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n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Europe: Diverse fortunes for apricot production 632 000 tons expected in Europe

French production declines in the presence of the high volumes and competitiveness of Italian and Spanish productions.

2018 was a complicated year for apricot in France and Italy, but much better in Spain. 2019 could be very different, with an expected strong decline in Spanish production.

T

he 2018 European apricot campaign was marked by major climatic problems in France and Italy, which led to a poor harvest, as highlighted in the Europêch harvest forecasts presented at Medfel in Perpignan (France) at the end of April 2019. Greece and Spain have seen production levels close to their potential. European production totalled 566 000 tons in 2018, 6% above the 2013-2018 average, but 17% lower than the level of 2017 - a large crop. Strong Spanish production generated significant volumes from the beginning of May. Italian and French productions have arrived on a sluggish market (the wet and cool spring were less than favourable to the consumption of summer fruits) well supplied by Spanish production, putting downward pressure on prices. For 2019, European harvests are expected to reach 632 000 tons, an increase of 12% over 2018. French and Italian productions should return to a high level, but Spanish production is expected to drop sharply.

THE LAST THREE DIFFICULT CAMPAIGNS In recent years, European apricot plantation areas have increased, with a transfer of peach areas to apricot.

Italian and especially Spanish plantation areas have progressed significantly, resulting in a development of export sales. The volumes and competitiveness of Italian and Spanish productions have caused a reduction in French production on the European market. The last three difficult campaigns have tempered the planting projects of European producers: the development of the plantation areas is slowing down. «All Spanish producing regions have a growing interest in opening new markets, which requires adapting the commercial structure of exporters,» said Javier Basols of Cooperativas Agroalimentarias. Structural problems are due mainly to the still insufficient degree of concentration and organisation of the supply.

Early forecast data for the 2019 campaign points to a 12% increase in the European apricot harvest compared to 2018, with the volume expected to reach nearly 632 000 tons.

However, this figure would put the 2019 crop below the very high production of 2017 (680 000 tons). The relatively low output is the result of a decline in Spanish production of around 36% compared to 2018 due to a lack of cold hours in winter followed by frosts at the end of March, which especially affected the Murcia region of Castilla-La Mancha. In France and Italy, the 2019 offer is expected to be significantly higher than 2018 and close to their production potential. 286 000 tons of Italian apricots are expected, i.e. up 34% compared to 2018, and 158 000 tons in France (up 43% compared to 2018). Finally, in Greece, the harvest should be at a good level, equivalent to that of 2018, around 90 000 tons.

Spain slows down its plantations

In the main apricot-producing regions (Murcia, Catalonia), the increase in acreage slowed, although volumes continue to increase due to the higher yields of young plantations. In the region of Valencia, the area devoted to stone fruit continues to decline. In Extremadura, there has been major renewal of varieties, focusing on varieties that are better suited to new markets and consumers’ tastes, and which provide earliness to avoid the months of higher supply concentration. New plantations of non-traditional types of fruit (e.g. kaki, pomegranate, etc.) are also beginning to occupy a central place.

»A » L

The last three campaigns have been difficult for European apricot growers, as highlighted during the Medfel harvest forecasts.

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High volumes and low prices for the 2019 Italian apricot season

T

he new apricot season promises to be a very abundant one, with prices well below the costs of cultivation and harvesting. These are the forecasts of Italmercati and Bmti for one of the key fruits of this period, based on information gathered from wholesale markets. According to the analysts, the 2019 production season could features extremely high quantities due to several factors: first of all, the sharp increase in the apricot planted area, which is leading to stable production.

This is very much the case with Emilia-Romagna, the region with the highest production levels, which expanded from 4,827 hectares in 2009 to 6,265 hectares in 2018.

Added to this growth is the replacement of old varieties with more productive cultivars. The late-winter 2018 frosts destroyed a large number of flowers, leading to heavy flower growth in spring 2019 and contributing further to the increase in supply. «In the face of such a high production forecast, it will be necessary to implement actions to maintain a high level of demand, focusing above all on the quality of the product on sale and avoiding the marketing of fruit with insufficient ripeness,» said the president of Italmercati, Fabio Massimo Pallottini.

»»Melinda constantly expan- »»Gullino ding late cherry production

Melinda’s success in the cherry sector continues, thanks in part to its ability to occupy a late calendar window, when few can guarantee the presence of the product on the market. «Having already reached our peak volume of last year, Melinda continues to invest in the cherry sector with a very high quality product. What distinguishes our production is that it falls exactly in the period of the year in which the cherries from the traditional producing regions (Puglia, Sicily or Emilia-Romagna) have already run out. We are therefore occupying a part of the calendar manned by very few actors, with an excellent product in high demand,” said director Melinda Paolo Gerevini. High volumes are forecast for the 2019 season. This follows a very abundant 2018 campaign during which Val di Non produced over 1,150 tons and the Trentino valleys contributed about 330 tons, to make a total of 1,480 tons - more than double the record crop of 2016. In commercial terms, the turnover was the highest ever.

Melinda mainly supplies its cherries to supermarket chains and continues to sell them abroad.

»»Alegra focuses on sustai-

nable packaging and new plum varieties

»»Apofruit

presents the Extra Project to obtain larger-sized stone fruit The new project proposed by Apofruit to increase the size of its peaches, nectarines, apricots and other kinds of stone fruit is called Extra: “We are developing the Extra Project, which involves the management of pruning, thinning and harvesting to generate a larger product that is harvested at the right point of ripeness; in short, a product that is more ready for consumption and with good organoleptic characteristics. For this purpose, a selection of peach, nectarine, apricot and plum varieties was selected to ensure a constant quality level and continuity throughout the season,” said director Ilenio Bastoni. Production levels are stable in 2019: the drop in production in Emilia-Romagna was offset by growth in Puglia and Calabria, and the weather conditions currently bode well for a positive season ahead. Production will start in Basilicata with greenhouse crops and then move on to the Calabrian-Apulian area, then, the Emilia-Romagna region for the medium-late range, and, finally, to Sicily for the late product. Around 60% of the product is destined for the Italian market, while the remaining 40% is exported, much of which is sent overseas, both by air and in containers. These volumes include a growing proportion of PGI productions from Emilia-Romagna and Sicily.

Alegra has invested in sustainable packaging for its stone fruit, while continuing with varietal innovation: “After our careful varietal research conducted over the years on peaches and nectarines, we have carried out segmentation work in the plum sector, favouring new varieties with particular characteristics in terms of taste and sweetness, an increasingly fundamental aspect. But, above all, we are committed to adopting sustainable packaging, choosing where possible products made from recycled materials, such as RPET baskets, an issue that is particularly close to the public’s hearts,” said marketing manager, Rita Biserni.

With forecasts of a stable season ahead, thanks to the mild temperatures that have allowed good flowering, Alegra once again aims to extend its annual calendar, with apricots now available until the end of August.

About 60% of its production destined for the Italian market. Of the remaining 40%, most is sent to Europe.

The firm’s organic product is also growing, with a share that has already reached 20%.

focuses on exporting Angeleno plum It is the plum sector that best represents the Gullino stone fruit on foreign markets: «Our plums, especially the Angeleno, are mainly exported, and are mostly sent to the markets of South America and the Middle East, where they have always been very successful, despite the pressures of Spanish competition. It is a great shame that there has been the prolonged closure of key markets, such as Russia, due to the embargo, or Brazil and Canada, blocked by phytosanitary rules. With peaches and nectarines, it is different.

Here, we focus on smaller volumes and higher quality fruit which contain a high degree of brix, are ripened in the field, and have good colouring,” said sales manager, Manuel Sola. Peach production is strongly affected by Spanish competition, which triggers a race for lower prices, discouraging both production and varietal innovation. On the other hand, today’s market requires quality products that are as tasty as they are beautiful to look at, and with a prolonged shelf life to allow exports to distant markets.

»»Armonia renews promotion with Gourmet Experience Laboratories

Armonia has a new promotional strategy that combines the taste of fresh fruit with the recipes of regional cuisine: “We have launched the Gourmet Experience Laboratories project, in which our premium range products such as DolceNettarina, DolceAlbicocca and DolceSaturnia are reinterpreted by different chefs in recipes aimed at enhancing the quality and characteristics of the fresh fruit. The initiative, carried out in collaboration with the main Italian retail chains, aims to promote ‘Made in Italy’ products and a healthy diet by offering a different recipe for each pack of fruit for sale,” said sales manager, Mario Mellone. The initiative has already been used with other categories of fruit, where it has met with great success among consumers, leading to a growth in sales of the premium line of around 15%. Armonia has also focused on diversifying its production areas for its premium line, with the most suitable areas sought to harvest a fruit at the ideal ripening point.

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n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Price rises bite into UK market Higher prices hurt stone fruit sales last year in the UK, where only plums avoided a dip in spend at retail.

A

mid price inflation of 7.7% for the segment as a whole, British shoppers left the market, made less frequent trips and bought less volume per trip. Overall, they pruned back the volume of their stone fruit purchases by nearly a tenth. The net effect was a sales volume of 153,953 tons (-9.9% year-on-year) with the value down 3% to £400.98 million. Kantar figures for

the 52 weeks to January 27 this year also show peaches (-6.4%) and apricots (-5.9%) saw the largest YoY percentage declines in spend. But nectarines were to blame for wiping the most of the overall value of the segment, alone costing the market £6.4 million. “This is due to a huge decrease in frequency, as well as shoppers leaving the market,” the shopper behaviour expert told ED. Nectarines suffered the biggest percentage drop in volume, a 16.8% plunge to 50,826 tons, but they still accounted for a third of the total stone fruit sales volume, followed by plums with 26%, peaches with 21%, cherries 13% and apricots 7%. In value, cherries contributed a third of

Sales of stone fruit at retail in Britain Spend (£000) 52 w/e 29 Jan 17

Volume (000kg)

52 w/e 28 52 w/e YoY % Change Jan 18 27 Jan 19 2017-18

52 w/e 29 Jan 17

52 w/e 28 Jan 18

52 w/e 27 Jan 19

Total

380852

413485

400982

-3.0

165582

170935

153953

Cherries

109001

128690

126783

-1.5

18854

21100

19995

Nectarines

103699

108851

102454

-5.9

60178

61107

50826

Plums

87130

86689

87588

1.0

45029

42208

39714

Peaches

55198

61190

57261

-6.4

33094

35885

32866

Apricot

25823

28064

26897

-4.2

8427

10635

10552

the total, then came nectarines with 26%, plums 22%, peaches 14% and apricots again with 7%. Plums were the only stone fruit to see growth in Britain last year and the 1% increase in the spend on them was due to price inflation. In reality, the volume of plums sold took a tumble of nearly 6%.

SPEND UP AT MORRISONS, SAINSBURY’S Kantar said that in general, the performance of the stone fruit market has been fluctuating, with frequency consistently driving growth while volume has been a hindrance. “The market once again fell into decline six months ago as frequency started to decrease,” it said.

Despite the total market’s poor performance, the national supermarket chains Morrisons (+7.4%) and SainsYoY % Change bury’s (+3.4%) together contributed 2017-18 £4.4 million to the stone fruit market.

-9.9 “Both grew through price inflation, -5.2 as well as Morrisons additionally -16.8 growing through trip volume.” Tesco -5.9 had the worst performance in the last -8.4 year, a 6.5% decline wiping off £6.2 -0.8 million in value, it said.

»»source: Kantar Worldpanel

»»

»»IPS

with more early apricots, yellow peaches and cherries The editor International Plant Selection is reinforcing its range of «Carmingo» and «Rubyngo» Red apricots with very early varieties, before the reference variety “Colorado” harvested in early May in Murcia. IPS also confirms it new late varieties cherries from «ZAIGER» (Royal Edie, Royal Helen ), for a harvest from late June or early July depending on the region.

IPS have also seen a big development in southern Europe and Northern Africa for plantations of the seft-fertile almond variety «Independence(R) ALM 21». Indeed, IPS exclusively represents the variety for European and Mediterranean countries. It currently represents the majority of almond plantations in the United States and around the world. «We are seeing growing interest in the planting of almond trees around the world, to reduce dependence on the California almond, which accounts for more than 80% of world production,» says Alexandre Darnaud, Director of IPS.

JB

»»PSB

offers more than 120 protected varieties and launches its new range of plums The Spanish selector PSB Producción Vegetal today offers a wide range of self-fertile apricots, red apricots (early and late) and red-fleshed red apricots, nectarines and round and flat peaches, as well as a new line of plums launching this year. The first hybrid plums from PSB are yellow flesh and red flesh varieties, with a first production this July. Rich in experience gained from producing more than 400 ha of early orchards in Murcia, PSB is also developing comprehensive consulting services for production, including notably, the planting of high-density orchards, fertigation, treatments, pruning and mechanisation of orchards. «Thanks to our recent technical days carried out in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Turkey we were able to demonstrate the latest cultivation advances and our ability to accompany producers at all stages of cultivation,» says Thomas Chevaillier, Sales Manager.

PSB also announced the creation of an experimentation Orchard of 25 ha of late varieties in Montelimar, with the aim of developing late varieties for France and the rest of Europe.

PSB aims to complement its range all season, the company was only recognized for its low chilling and early varietal range. PSB is also pursuing its international development, with an exclusive partner editor for South Africa (Buffalo Fruit), exclusive customers in Chile and in Australia. PSB continues to develop its varietal diffusion out of Spain throughout Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus and North African countries.

»»Agroselection Fruit consolidates its strategy with Frutaria Agro Selection Fruits (ASF) reaffirms its strategy of varietal development and international diffusion, since the becoming the majority stake holder of Frutaria to the tune of 51% of its capital in 2018. Frutaria (SAMCA group) became the first Spanish fruit group with more than 12 000 ha of land, inclusive 3000ha cultivated in the main fruit species grown on the peninsula (Apple, citrus fruits, stone fruit, and grapes). ASF will integrate the research program started by Frutaria, which will help to increase the portfolio of low chilling peaches and nectarines, as well as yellow peaches and plumcot. Based in Elne (Perpignan), the Catalan breeder is introducing this year its 3rd generation of «Regal’in™» flat varieties. For more than 10 years Agro Selections Fruits embraces the new challenges of breeding and selection of resistant or tolerant varieties to diseases. “Our goal is to offer varieties that can adapt to the new market and regulatory requirements of the producers and respond to the demand of the consumers as well”.

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»»ALSAT

offers the earliest cherry

»»Nufri

a commitment to sustainability

»»Cot International The Vanilla Cot® range is expanding

Three new varieties swell the Vanilla Cot® range of Cot International. One comes in the early window, June 1 in 2018, one in mid-season, June 29 in 2018 and another is late with maturity around July 07 in 2018. All three have the white flesh characteristic of this range of white apricot. All three varieties are self-fertile. The fruits have sugar levels of more than 17 ° brix and are juicy and aromatic.

»»Fruit de Ponent recovers volumes

Fruit de Ponent expects a return to traditional production levels during this stone fruit campaign in Lerida.

In 2018, only 38,000 tons were produced, due to the hailstorms that hit the area. But the plan for the 2019 campaign is to increase that figure to 60,000 tons. However, according to general director Josep Presseguer, this new campaign will be very complex.

First, owing to the large amount of fruit that will be available in the area - the good weather and good flowering mean the trees are expected to give their best. Second, there is a growing apathy among the final consumer, who is starting to prefer other fruits to stone fruit. «Quality and taste is the most important thing: we cannot fail there. To recover the trust and loyalty of the final client, we are investing a lot in R & D and we have a complete department dedicated only to varietal research,» said Presseguer. Another of Fruit de Ponent’s commercial strategies is to remain the benchmark for Europe, keeping that market as the priority. Along with this, it hopes to continue prospecting new markets in Asia, the Caribbean and Canada.

Organics will also be important, and over the next four years, the firm expects to increase current volumes of this segment by 10%.

Nufri has started its stone fruit campaign with an early harvest showing good quality and steady volumes. The firm’s peaches, nectarines and apricots promise to win back consumers with new technological advances implemented in production, packaging and transportation so as to achieve optimum ripening. It is estimated that Nufri’s campaign will total 30,000 tons of peach, nectarine, Saturn peach, flat peach and apricot. The company constantly seeks to improve in all aspects that allow optimum quality and sustainability. “We want the greatest levels of production and conservation processes that reduce the impact on the environment and the use of pesticides. The challenges that we face today are to create pilot projects that are low in waste, more sustainable, with greater respect for nature and promote biodiversity,» said commercial manager, Jacky Feniello.

A strategic advance in the start of the harvest calendar demonstrates the high added value of SAT Fruita d’Alcarràs’ cherries, apricots and other stone fruits. «We are committed to investing in greenhouse cultivation because it allows us to have high quality early fruit and, at the same time, extend the availability calendar. We can start harvesting 10-15 days in advance, as in the case of cherries. While we used to have campaigns of three months, they now last for six,» said Andrea Talpos, export manager. As was the case last year for cherries, the company has once again invested in new technology; but this time it will be to treat stone fruit.

Modern machinery will minimise manual handling and improve precision in selecting for colour, size and brix degree. «With the mechanisation of these processes, we expect to double our productivity,» said Talpos.

»»Copa Fresh consolidates offer of organic fruit

Copa Fresh plans to greatly increase its supply of organic fruit for the next campaign. The firm estimates that it will have a production of close to 600 tons of Saturn peach and nectarine. The production, packaging and distribution of organic fruit has been a major focus of Copa Fresh in recent years: «Our goal is to take advantage of all the synergies, logistics and know-how to obtain the volume of conventional fruit with which we now work, so that we can offer the best service in organic fruit,» said commercial manager, Albert Carnicé. The organic trend is establishing itself across many markets, which is why all companies wishing to consolidate themselves in their segment must pay great attention to this category. Regarding the production and distribution of conventional stone fruit, Copa Fresh expects an increase of around 25% in volume terms compared to the previous season, which was marked by a very significant loss of production due to frost and hail. The firm expects to close the campaign with a production of more than 12,000 tons, mainly of nectarine (50%), Saturn peach (25%), peach (15%) and apricot (10%).

»»French Fruit Lovers A plum with an exotic taste: Lovita® Lovita®, the first plum variety selected by French Fruit Lovers, is inspiring enthusiasm with its taste qualities.

Very sweet with a Brix rate between 23 ° and 25 °, juicy with an exotic taste, this red fleshed, heart-shaped plum keeps very well in controlled atmosphere from its harvest in September to December. The fruits of the first plantations in France, Spain and Portugal will be available from September 2019. Nearly 30 hectares have already been planted and more than 100 are planned.

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Tomato/Pepper

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

A booming global pepper market Demand for pepper is rocketing across the world, with the UK market leading the way, partly as a consequence of the impending Brexit.

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he world pepper market is expanding significant fast at all levels. At the Eco-Forum Syngenta-Zeraim, data was presented highlighting the increasing demand for peppers from both the final consumer and the food industry. The main producing countries, especially Spain, have maintained stable growth, which has been met with rising sales in practically all parts of the world. Organics will undoubtedly play a greater role in the sector over the coming years to respond to growing consumer demand. The key challenge for the sector is to maintain this current growth in both the conventional and organic lines.

A GREAT LEAP FORWARD Approximately 3.5 million tons of pepper were sold in 2016 - a markedly higher figure than was recorded in 2000, when 1.5 million tons were sold. By 2005, the volume had reached 2 million tons. It was in these first five years of the 21st century that a significant quantitative leap was experienced worldwide. Now, just six years since the end of the global economic crisis, a second major leap has been recorded.

MEXICO AND SPAIN FUEL DEMAND Spain is the world’s second largest pepper exporter behind Mexico. Between 2013 and 2018, Spanish exports rose by 25% - they climbed 7% in 2017-18 alone. Mexican exports have been growing even faster. The third country in terms of volume and growth is the Netherlands, although exports growth was more modest last year, at 2%. The Dutch are followed in the top-ten pepper exporting countries by Canada, the US, Morocco, China, Turkey, Israel and Iran.

The global pepper sector has now targeted another

major step forward in terms of production and trade volumes over the next five years.

The US and Germany are the world’s largest purchasers of pepper. The US is supplied by its two neighbouring countries, Mexico and Canada, which account for almost 100% of their imports. Germany, on the other hand, buys 61% of its pepper imports from Spain, which has replaced Dutch production since 2010. Spanish peppers now receiving equal prices to Dutch produce, despite having much lower production costs than their Dutch counterparts. Germany has also registered significant growth in its own production, with a 62% increase between 2015 and 2017.

THE FUTURE LIES IN OPEN-FIELD PRODUCTION Production methods vary between Europe and the United States. All US pepper is grown outdoors, while Spanish and Dutch production is generally protected. With the development of new resistant varieties

EUROPEAN UNION: Europe imports 19% less pepper from abroad than it did ten years ago. Intra-European imports have grown by 36% in the same period.

UNITED KINGDOM: It is the third largest pepper importing country in the world. Almost all the pepper consumed is bought from abroad.

It is also third in the world in terms of performance (242 tons/ha. in 2017).

HOLLAND: Of the Europeans, it is second only behind Spain in terms of production and export. It is a world leader in performance, with 280 tons/ha., and the world’s third largest exporter.

GERMANY: The country leads imports in Europe and is second in the world. 61% is bought from Spain and 10% from outside the EU. Germany imports 20% more than it did in 2010.

UNITED STATES: The country purchases 95% of the pepper that leaves Mexico and is the seventh producer worldwide. It is the largest importer in the world.

MEXICO: The largest exporters in the world.

In 2017, it exceeded one million tons sold abroad (1,037,394).

29.6% of all the pepper exported in the world is Mexican.

MOROCCO: With 114,531 tons exported in 2017, it is the African country that sells the most peppers abroad, albeit not the largest producer.

ISRAEL: Exports have plummeted in the last four years by almost 50%. In 2017, 60,787 tons were sold abroad.

SPAIN: It is the largest producer and exporter in Europe, with more than 700,000 tons per year, and the second in the world.

CHINA: The Asian giant is the largest pepper producer in the world by far (44.5% of global total). Almost all the product is for internal consumption. In 2017, it produced more than 18 million tons.

INDONESIA: It is a world power in surface area (3rd) and production (4th), but not in exports. In 2017, it dedicated 310,147 hectares to pepper.

INDIA: In 2017, it surpassed China as the world leader in pepper production surface area, with 848,000 hectares.

EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION May/June 2019

of pepper through research, European production could see a shift to open-field production over the years ahead.

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sales of organic peppers fell by 3.5% in value in the UK, and by 3.1% in terms of volume produced (952 tons in total).

By contrast, conventional production grew by 8% in volume over the same 12-month period, to 132,808 tons, and by 10.6% in value (357.7 million pounds). There has also been

Spanish pepper exports rise 25% in 5 years

THE BRITISH PEPPER MARKET EXPANDS FROM WITHIN The UK market is now well aware of the eventual consequences of leaving the European Union.

The approaching Brexit has led to an increase in consumption of domestically grown pepper, despite the overall trend of recent years to increase imports of peppers and other products. The major suppliers to the UK market are Spain and the Netherlands, but domestic production has increased considerably. In fact, the UK pepper market is currently the fastest growing in Europe.

ORGANIC PEPPER LOSING POPULARITY IN UK In the UK market, there is great penetration of the online channel, a proliferation of convenience products and growth in demand for organic products, although this demand remains well behind countries such as United States, China, France and Germany.

Nevertheless, the organic segment is the fastest growing area in the UK fresh produce market. But for pepper, it is a different story, with organic production losing penetration in the domestic market, with consumers preferring conventionally grown pepper.

Indeed, between January 2018 and January 2019,

a significant increase in sales of specialty peppers and subcategories, with the ‘Mixed Pack’ of snack pepper registering a 23.6% increase in sales value between 2018 and 2019. The Spanish, Dutch and other countries exporting to the United Kingdom will no doubt be observing this trend with great attention, and also with some concern.

»»Savéol

launches flavour branch cherry tomato Since its creation, Savéol has been innovating every aspect of production. To launch new varieties, the cooperative has equipped itself with a test greenhouse dedicated to innovation and the search for taste varieties. 200 tests are carried out there every year. The flavour branch cherry is Savéol’s new star, proposed in a 350gr tray. These new tomatoes benefit from persuasive arguments to delight the discerning palate: crunchy with generous juice which+ floods the palate with sugary notes, all very popular consumer criteria.

Since its inception, Savéol's work has always aimed at the taste quality. Among the tools put in place to ensure this criterion is an internal tasting jury, product tastings in comparative markets and regular sensory studies carried out by an independent laboratory. In 2018, Savéol set up a barometer panel (EUROFINS) based on 5 of its varieties of tomatoes with 500 consumers per year, in order to follow the taste evolution of its products during the season and to capture the expectations of consumers in terms of tastes. Of all Savéol tomatoes tasted, the overall satisfaction rate is 76% and more than 70 per cent of the participants would recommend these tomatoes to their immediate circle. Elsewhere Savéol has long been developing on its "savoir-vert" (green knowhow). This has been brought into the spotlight with the large-scale launch of the range of tomatoes grown without pesticides, which has already largely conquered consumer baskets. The cooperative continues to invest in this "third way" of agriculture, since it is very promising and in which the "Saveol" brand already appears to have become segment leader. In one year, the number of buyers has multiplied by 5, and the small fruit market share value is already reaching 11%. As for the re-purchase rate, it is equal to that of certified organic products, i.e. more than 30%. Savéol deploys 10 references within its "cultivated without pesticides": range pigeon heart (250g and 500g), taste cherries (250g), cocktail (500g), Torino (600g), mixed colours (350g), gourmet collection (750g), natural harvest (crate 1kg), and grape (750g).

Siren 777626722 RCS Brest - © CMO SCA

for all tastes!

Coopérative Maraîchère de l’Ouest - 77 rue du Père Gwenaël - F-29470 Plougastel - export@saveol.com - www.saveol.com

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Tomato/Pepper

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

UK tomato market now worth nearly £800m Premium lines accounted for most of the £35.3m growth last year RIJK ZWAAN BRIOSO VARIETY

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T

he tomato category has grown 4.6% in value in the UK over the last year, outperforming the wider produce market. Brits spent over £799 million on tomatoes in the 52 weeks to April 21, 2018 – £35.5 million more than in the previous year, new figures from Kantar show. And despite the average price for tomatoes rising 1.8% to £2.87/kg, the volume of tomatoes at retail also increased, by 2.8%, to 278,482 tons. The average spend on tomatoes per trip is up 1.5% to £1.21 and the volume per trip is the only KPI provided by the shopper behaviour expert showing a decline, though at 0.2% it was marginal and the average remains 0.42 kg. The already high penetration rate for tomatoes even rose slightly, inching up by 0.2% to nearly 93.3% and among the highest in produce, rivalling the ever popular banana.

With tomatoes already being bought by almost all the 27.6 million British households, leaving little scope to attract new shoppers, the frequency with which they buy them has been earmarked as the way to keep fuelling category growth. Efforts to thus encourage shoppers to make one extra trip, with infrequent shoppers in particular a key target, and to get tomatoes into more meals or occasions, seem to be paying off – the purchase frequency rose 1.8% to 25.63. That means Brits are now buying the fruit nearly 26 times a year on average, purchasing the salad staple more often than eggs and breakfast cereal but still eating them at a low rate compared with other European countries, especially those in the Mediterranean. It’s estimated that about a third of tomatoes sold in the UK are consumed at lunch, with 46% eaten at dinner time. Kantar says the latest growth in the category spend was largely due to higher prices and shoppers making more frequent trips. The inflation in UK tomato prices since early 2017 (when the average price per kilo was 20p lower) looks likely to persist amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty. But the other big trend in tomatoes is that premiumisation is helping this mature category grow, not necessarily by selling more overall volume but by trading existing shoppers up.

POPULAR PREMIUM TIERS ARE SUSTAINING GROWTH Drilling down into the Kantar data, it can be seen that speciality lines – such as tomatoes on the vine, baby plum and Piccolo – are the motors of growth in the tomato market. Though still number one in volume, the ordinary tomato is the segment struggling the most. It still accounts for over a third of the volume of tomatoes sold but sales have declined 3% YoY to

95,823 tons and are down nearly 5% on two years ago. Thanks to price inflation, however, the spend on ordinary was up marginally (0.8% YoY) to £165.8 million, just over a fifth of the total for tomatoes. Vine tomatoes rank second in volume but number one in value. With 57,763 tons (+3.1% YoY) sold for £192.3 million (+1.8% YoY), they contributed a fifth of the category volume and almost a quarter of its value.

Vine tomatoes now account for over two-thirds of the UK tomato production area. The baby plum packed a particularly big punch, with double digit growth volume growth of 10.6% to 39,381 tons it contributed the highest absolute increase (3,769 tons) to the total tonnage. It ranked fourth, behind the cherry, for volume but third in value, coming in at a spend of nearly

£136 million. This was up a solid 8% on a year ago and added over £10 million to the category, a performance only the Piccolo, with a £9.97 million boost, came close to matching. The cherry represents 19.4% of the tomato volume and 16% of the value. At £127.78 million, the spend on cherry was up 0.3% YoY but compared to two years ago, the spend has slipped 4.6% and the volume by 3%. Coming next and in striking comparison, both the volume and value of sales of the Piccolo have exploded upwards by 40% since 2017 and 10% in the last year. Small in size but big in flavour, the Piccolo represented under 6% of the sales volume but at £103.7 million it delivered 13% of the value. »JB »

Sales of tomatoes at retail in UK Volume (000kg)

52 w/e 23 Apr 17

52 w/e 22 Apr 18

52 w/e 21 Apr 19

YoY % Change 2017-18

YoY % Change 2018-19

Total Tomatoes

275,152

270930

278482

-1.5

2.8

Ordinary

100,779

98,738

95,823

-2.0

-3.0

Vine

59,733

56,030

57,763

-6.2

3.1

Cherry

55,572

52,760

53,921

-5.1

2.2

Plum Baby

34,347

35,612

39,381

3.7

10.6 10.1

Piccolo

11,587

14,771

16,266

27.5

Cherry On Vine

6,070

6,410

6,758

5.6

5.4

Thk Flshd+Ext Lrg

3,094

3,317

3,911

7.2

17.9

Plum Other

2,205

1,971

2,834

-10.6

43.8

Mixed

1,691

1,215

1,774

-28.1

46.0

74

106

51

43.2

-51.9

52 w/e 23 Apr 17

52 w/e 22 Apr 18

52 w/e 21 Apr 19

YoY % Change 2017-18

YoY % Change 2018-19

Total Tomatoes

737,340

764,345

799,672

3.7

4.6

Vine

192,556

188,907

192,329

-1.9

1.8

Ordinary

156,731

164,499

165,860

5.0

0.8

Plum Baby

117,617

125,958

135,992

7.1

8.0

Cherry

133,887

127,453

127,786

-4.8

0.3

Piccolo

74,342

93,737

103,713

26.1

10.6

Cherry On Vine

39,821

41,687

45,006

4.7

8.0

Mixed

7,423

7,680

10,679

3.5

39.0

Plum Other

7,010

6,320

9,719

-9.8

53.8

Thk Flshd+Ext Lrg

7,398

7,382

8,275

-0.2

12.1

555

722

315

30.1

-56.4

Fairtrade Vine source: Kantar Value (£000’s)

Fairtrade Vine source: Kantar

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54

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Tomato/Pepper

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Rijk Zwaan: Enthusiastic reactions to new Sweet Palermo colours

C

hain partners have reacted enthusiastically to the new Sweet Palermo® colours. Orange and chocolate-coloured variants are now available in addition to red and yellow ones within Rijk Zwaan’s brand of sweet pointed peppers. “We plan to introduce the trio of red, orange and yellow across the whole of Europe,” says Jesús Villegas from Unica Fresh. According to Jesús Villegas, who is responsible for pepper sales at the Spanish export company Unica Fresh, the market for sweet pointed peppers is still growing in Europe. “Relevant growth continued last season. Thanks to its good flavour and texture, the red Palermo RZ is a fantastic pepper, whether cooked or eaten raw. The yellow variant is performing very well too, and has had a particularly strong launch in Germany. The arrival of the orange sweet pointed pepper opens up opportunities for a new blend that we plan to introduce across the whole of Europe. The trio of red, orange and yellow will help us to expand the market.”

FLAVOUR AND SHAPE Rijk Zwaan developed the Sweet Palermo brand in 2015. Appealing flavour, versatility and convenience are the three main strengths of the red Palermo RZ and have become the brand’s core values. Therefore, it has taken some time for the vegetable breeding

»»ISI Sementi diversifies

products and markets

Italian vegetable seed specialist ISI Sementi is focusing on diversification and expanding its markets.

Chief marketing officer, Renzo Lazzarin, said, “While our core business remains tomatoes, we have begun focusing on other crops too and have recently begun a new programme developing varieties of squash and cauliflower. We intend to continue introducing new species, while also diversifying within species.”

Similarly, ISI is also diversifying its markets. “We are an Italian company, but we’re now focusing on developing export markets in the Mediterranean Basin, and in Russia, the US and Latin America, developing specific breeding programmes for each production area. As ambassadors of ‘Made in Italy’, we believe in maintaining tradition. But as we are now scaling up our production worldwide, we have shifted to aggressively defending the traditions of every part of the world.

This means maintaining shape, size and especially the original and authentic taste! We do all of this will improving the product and developing better resistance and shelf life,” said Lazzarin. products,” said Lazzarin.

company to develop yellow, orange and chocolate variants that are up to scratch. Marketing Specialist Heleen van Rijn-Wassenaar from Rijk Zwaan: “We’d set a high bar for ourselves. We wanted the other colours to offer consumers the same high-quality experience. We trialled the varieties extensively, testing the taste with consumer panels, the shape together with breeders and the technical traits with growers.

These new colours meet all our criteria. For example, the chocolate Palermo is just as surprisingly sweet as its red ‘sister’.”

NEW INSPIRATIONAL PACKAGING CONCEPTS With these four colours, it is now possible to make numerous Sweet Palermo combinations. “That creates more diversification within the category. At our Retail Center in Berlin, we use techniques such as eye-tracking technology to test new packaging concepts and ideas for blends which we then offer to our chain partners as inspiration. For example, a mix of red, yellow and chocolate – which is almost black – can be used to make a blend featuring the colours of the Belgian or German flag. Various seasonal blends are possible too. We will soon be launching a campaign called ‘Colouring the Year’ to support this idea,” explains Van Rijn.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Jesús Villegas from Unica Fresh is happy with such support. “It helps us during the launch. The collaboration with Rijk Zwaan around product development and market launch is very important to us. Our customers’ wants and needs are always our top priority, of course. I expect the market for sweet pointed peppers to continue to evolve and grow. Following on from Scandinavia and Germany, we’re already seeing good sales performance in Spanish supermarkets, for instance.”

»»Enza Zaden

supports supply chain and reaffirms commitment to organics Global vegetable seed specialist Enza Zaden aims to deepen its involvement across the entire supply chain and strengthen its commitment to organics. Regional sales director Christof Flörchinger said, “We will be even more present in support of all the players throughout the chain, from the grower to the supermarket.

We get feedback from consumers and implement new trends, we develop better yields and crop resistance for farmers and respond to transportation and retail demands for better handling and shelf life. This commitment has already born results with our work in the past year on our new pumpkins, which led to their successful commercialisation.” Meanwhile, Enza Zaden reaffirms its commitment to supporting organic production. This year is the 25th anniversary of its daughter company, Vitalis, which has always been 100% organic and is fully immersed in the organic world.

»»HM Clause

presents new pepper varieties

HM Clause Iberica, the French seed company based in Spain, has opened its 2019 pepper campaign by presenting novelties in its pepper range. The seed house will now be offering Bastion, a new yellow California pepper in its Ion range, which provides resistance to nematodes and powdery mildew. Another interesting novelty is Morfeo, a yellow California pepper for medium-late plantings, which provides uniform products, with good shape and consistency. Last but not least, this campaign HM Clause has presented its first variety of Lamuyo pepper: the Nukka. This variety has a remarkable colouring, firmness and wall thickness. All of these developments join the firm’s wide range of established varieties in Almeria. In red California, it offers Abraham, Azahar, Amparo and Aitana, and in yellow California, it offers Deseo and Prometeo.

It’s all in the

EXTENDING OUR RANGE

In four suprisingly colours

56

PRODUCE

Tomato/Pepper

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Italy’s organic tomato industry on the rise

A

ccording to ANICAV data, Italy has over 30 companies in the centre-south of the country operating in the field of organic tomato processing, largely concentrated in the provinces of Naples and Salerno. Analyses show that in 2018, the region’s processing of organic tomatoes used 122,917 tons of raw materials, equivalent to about 5.6% of the national total. The surface area cultivated with organic tomatoes is 1,554 hectares - approximately 6% of the national surface, with a yield of 79.1 tons per hectare - slightly less than that obtained from land cultivated with non-organic tomatoes. According to the same report, in the Po Valley, the surface cultivated with organic tomatoes is 2,365 hectares (6.7% of the total), with a yield of 64.6 tons per hectare - much lower than that in the central-south. In Italy, 275,510 tons of organic tomatoes (2018 data) are produced on an area of 3,919 hectares, which represent 6.45% of the 60,802 hectares dedicated to tomato cultivation nationally. In the Po Valley, the data collected by Pomodoro Nord IO show that in the last eight years, especially in 2016, the surfaces dedicated to organic tomato have expanded rapidly. According to representatives of APO Conerpo,

Rodolfi Mansueto and Casalasco, who met in 2018 during the Cibus event in Parma, the consumption of organic tomatoes has also grown rapidly in Italy, a sign that consumers are increasingly confident in the products supplied by the sector. This has recently led Pomodoro Nord IO to sign a protocol that includes further analyses in order to improve quality guarantees and obtain certifications. This growth in

»»Agribologna

»»Vittoria Tomatoes

focuses on tomato brand ‘I Did This’ Agribologna presents itself as a supply chain tomato which is closely linked to the territory of origin for the 2019 season: «We are strengthening our ‘I Did This’ brand, in which the producer and the supply chain are absolute protagonists. This includes a specially designed 100% biodegradable packaging. The brand’s tomato line aims to enhance the product of our producer members in Sicily and Emilia-Romagna, which include a company that grows tomato out of the soil with the heat produced by a bio-digester. In terms of varieties, we are focusing mainly on cherry and Beef tomatoes, and have obtained very high quality levels,” said general manager, Angelo Palma. The production is essentially targeted at two market lines: 1) Italian and European large-scale retailers, with Germany and France at the forefront, and 2) the wholesale channel, with the main general markets. The latest addition to the ‘I Did This’ range is green asparagus. There are also innovations in Agribologna’s convenience range, which now features combinations of fresh fruit and flavoured honeys of the Mielizia brand, as well as watermelon cut into wedges and one sticks, as part of a line of almost 60 products.

opts for quality with Italico tomato

Italico is the highest quality Sicilian tomato that Vittoria Tomatoes brings to the rest of Europe: «Our producers organisation specialises in cherry, datterino, piccadilly and bunch tomatoes, and focuses on quality as the only added value against the competition. We have chosen to brand our product with the Italico name to make it easily recognisable; in fact, we sell exclusively tomato produced from our lands. We are also part of the Small European Club. Our Italico and Hybleo tomatoes are the result of our efforts to obtain a healthy product with minimal residues and a minimum Brix content of 7 degrees up to a maximum of 11 in certain periods of the year. These products are constantly the focus of research aimed at varietal innovation for developing rich and tasty varieties,” said the organisation’s president, Salvatore Tomasi. About 80% of Vittoria Tomatoes’ annual production of around 10,000 tons is destined for export, with the UK the leading market (40%), followed by Germany, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries. The production calendar covers 12 months of the year, thanks to the use of protected structures that are heated and protect against frost.

demand explains the considerable extension in the areas cultivated in the province of Ferrara, historically the area of greatest production, with about two-thirds of the surface, as well as in the provinces of Parma and Ravenna. From 2011 to 2018, the areas sown with organic tomatoes not only grew from 1,079 to 2,365 hectares, but they also shifted their share also grew from 3% to 6.8%.

»»Lamboseeds

rediscovers green Camoncino and ribbed varieties For the 2019 season, Lamboseeds has returned to the green and ribbed tomato varieties: “Alongside our cherry tomatoes of different colours - green, yellow, red and brown - which have enjoyed great success this year, the green Camoncino tomato has now made a comeback. We also have a new tomato with a high alpha-lipoic acid content, and we have a project which involves working on ribbed varieties,» said sales manager, Sandro Colombi. Despite being increasingly focused on the Italian market, Lamboseeds has already begun to look at similar markets such as Greece, the former Yugoslav republics, and Black Sea countries like Bulgaria and Ukraine. These are all markets where Lamboseeds products will occupy a niche position in a high-quality range reserved for consumers seeking the best product at the best price.

EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION May/June 2019

Tomato/Pepper PRODUCE

n°161

»»Syngenta

Yoom the starred tomato Yoom is a mini-cocktail tomato (fruit of 33 and 38 gr) of very dark purple colour, which cannot hide its genetic lineage to Kumato, with the particularity of presenting an orangey star at the petiole (no anthocyanin colouring). «The fruit is closed, with a sugar-acid balance to express Umami - the fifth taste,» mentions Jérémy Chabanis, head of development of Yoom at Syngenta.

«We are in a pilot year with different partners in Europe in order to supply the market all year round,» he says.

Yoom can be harvested in bunches or loose. It requires special attention in cultivation and harvesting.

»»Bejo Redlander the hybrid onion resistant to mildew

Bejo has been nominated for the Innovation Award at Fruitlogistica 2019 for its Redlander F1, a variety of red hybrid onion with a high resistance to mildew.

«This means having a variety available that can adapt to production itineraries aimed at reducing the use of phytosanitary products» comments the breeder. Of the Rijnsburger type, this variety is also suitable for long storage. Under its purple bulb tunic, is a good quality skin and light coloured interior. The variety is available for conventional farming and organic seed.

»»Eminent presents new packaging

for Tinkerbell® baby peppers

At this year’s Fruit Logistica, Eminent Foods launched a restyled packaging of its baby pepper Tinkerbell® to target the home chef. “We have created a packaging to better communicate the story of the Tinkerbell®,” said Ingeborg Hendriks, marketing and communication coordinator with Eminent. The black cardboard sleeve offers the consumer full view of the baby peppers and is fully recyclable. The sides of the packaging inform the user about the different possibilities offered by the versatile baby bell pepper: it can be stuffed, grilled, in a salad and used for decoration or as a snack. The culinary baby pepper is available in red, yellow, green, purple, and orange, while a lime-yellow variation has recently been introduced. Each package offers different combinations of colours, according to the time of year when they are available. “We have focused on the packaging because the customer often has little idea of what to do with peppers. We want to show that they are in fact a very easy product to use,” said Hendriks. From its establishment in 1983, Eminent has developed from a sweet pepper grower into a specialist in the area of developing and marketing exclusive vegetables that differ in size, shape, colour and flavour. Eminent joined Best Fresh in 2006. Its main markets are retailers in the EU, especially the Netherlands, the UK, the Nordics and Germany, but it also targets the gastronomy and food service sector.

»»Sakata

new coloured small fruits Already present in the small fruit tomato market, Sakata now offers the novelties Royalstar, Chocostar and Tom 02459. Royalstar is an orange cherry tomato intended for loose or bunch harvesting. The breeder’s second novelty is a dark red loose cherry tomato, Chocostar. And Tom 02459 presents a small calibre, elongated red fruit. Also note the Beit Alpha cucumber, a short cucumber selected for not developing bitterness. Its taste is therefore slightly sweet, appreciated in the South of France but also in Mexico and Australia.

»»Topseeds presents Tomatochoc® and Ikigai ranges of tomato Global seeds specialist Topseeds has launched two new brands of tomato: Tomatochoc® and Ikigai®.

Fabrizio Iurato of the firm’s Italian sales department said, “Tomatochoc® is an umbrella line of black tomato with a striking flavour, a spectacular shine and a distinguishing chocolate colour. Tomachoc® varieties are Cordobesa Plum, Quinto collettato, Top Zohar midi plum, Sissy cocktail and Zmira cherry; together they offer the most extensive range of black tomatoes on the market. It is a 100% natural tomato, traditionally cultivated and with antioxidant properties.” The firm’s other new brand is its Ikigai® line of coloured tomatoes. This line includes the Yuka cherry plum tomato and the Mini On yellow mini-cherry tomato. Indeed, Top Seeds offers an extensive line of cherry tomatoes, ranging in weight from 4g to 130g, selected for their optimal combination of flavour, texture, shelf life and appearance. “Italian markets demand exceptionally high-tasting tomatoes and our products satisfy the needs of the most demanding producers, retailers and consumers,” said Iurato.

»»Yuksel

expands assortment and intensifies sales in emerging markets Yuksel Seeds Inc. is the largest private Turkish seed research and production company. For over 30 years, the firm has worked on improving hybrid vegetable cultivars. Yuksel Seeds specialises in hybrid varieties of tomato, pepper, aubergine, cucumber, squash, melon and watermelon. “We are constantly expanding our assortment,” said Ziya Yildiz, business development manager. “We have selected and added to our range of hybrid sweet corn, potato, lettuce, and some other vegetables. We have also extended our presence worldwide, opening representative offices in new markets and we now have offices in 10 countries.” Yuksel Seeds selects its hybrids at five research and breeding stations and grows seeds on 210 ha of open field and in 110 ha of glasshouses. The varieties are bred and produced solely and exclusively by Yuksel Seeds Inc.

57

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Tropical

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Global pineapple market expands 5% between 2014 and 2018 Costa Rica continues to lead the way in pineapple exports, with the US market the largest receiver. Meanwhile, Chinese and Russian markets represent fast-growing destinations.

pineapples to the US in 2018 totalled 1.16 million tons and were worth $725.99 million. Volumes received from abroad rose 3% between 2014 and 2018, while, in value terms, the increase was 3% over the four-year period.

Some way behind the US came the Netherlands, with 9.5% of the market share. The Dutch imported 318,800 tons of pineapples in 2018, with a value of $258.3 million. The volumes of imports to the Netherlands fell by 1% between 2014 and 2018, while their value dropped by 2%.

T

he value of the global trade in pineapples grew by 5% between 2014 and 2018, to total US$2.12 billion, according to data published by the International Trade Centre. Total exported volumes were also up from 2014 levels, rising 4% to 3.93 million tons.

Costa Rica continues to cast its giant shadow across the world’s pineapple market, accounting for 49% of the value of total exports in 2018. And there are no signs of the Central Americans letting up any time soon. Indeed, between 2014 and 2018, Costa Rica’s pineapple exports climbed 5% to US$1.04 billion, while volumes were up 3% over the period, reaching 2.3 million tons in 2018.

At US$445/unit, the price of Costa Rica’s pineapples is substantially lower than the world average of $539/unit.

The world’s second largest producer-exporter is the Philippines, with less than a fifth of Costa Rica’s shipments (442,100 tons), worth $191.98 million. While the value of the Philippines’ pineapple exports fell by 5% in the twelve months between 2017 and 2018, they actually grew by 12% over the four-year period between 2014 and 2018.

There was a 5% rise in volumes over the same period.

Taiwan, Honduras and Ecuador are the next largest producers of pineapple.

NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM SERVE AS MAIN HUBS FOR EU MARKET The world’s next largest exporter, the Netherlands, is actually a re-exporter and a net importer of pineapple, with 11.6% of the global market share. The Dutch shipped 276,670 tons in 2018, worth $245.42 million. In value terms, this represented a 1% rise from 2014 levels and a 2% increase in terms of volumes. The pineapples reValue imported in 2018 (USD thousand)

Trade balance in 2018 (USD thousand)

Quantity imported in 2018

World

2732181

-611666

3590083

USA

725992

-635730

1163996

Netherlands

258319

-12896

318806

China

182731

-175220

185996

Germany

156851

-134010

160587

Spain

144460

-104154

178820

Belgium

135303

-26716

150931

Italy

134964

-118109

175975

Source: International Trade Centre

CHINA AND RUSSIA DEVELOP A TASTE FOR PINEAPPLE

exported by the Dutch are relatively expensive, at $887/ unit. Their neighbours, the Belgians, are the world’s next largest re-exporters. Approximately 131,200 tons were exported from Belgium in 2018, worth $108.6 million. There was a 1% increase in volumes exported between 2014 and 2018, but a 2% drop in value. Belgian pineapple exports were worth $827/unit in 2018, slightly less than their Dutch counterparts.

THE US HAS A GROWING APPETITE FOR THE TROPICAL As for imports of fresh and dried pineapple, the US leads the way with 26.6% of the market. Shipments of

Exported Value (USD 000)

Source: International Trade Centre

In third place was the Chinese market, which received 6.7% of global pineapple imports in 2018. Indeed, the Chinese market registered the sharpest growth in pineapple imports between 2014 and 2018, with volumes increasing by 28% and rising by 31%; there was a 25% rise in the value of this market in 2017-18 alone. What is remarkable is that the Chinese market recorded such growth despite levying the highest import tariffs (15.6% compared with 1.7% for the EU markets and 0.5% for the US market). Volumes arriving in China totalled 185,996 tons in 2018 and were worth $182.7 million.

Several European markets followed closely behind the Chinese in terms of imported volumes. The Germans received 5.7% of the total volumes of pineapple imports, with 160,587 tons arriving in 2018, worth $156.85 million. This represented a 1% drop in volumes and value over the four-year period. Spain recorded a 5% rise in volumes over the period to reach 178,820 tons (5.3% global market share), worth $144.46 million (+4%). Belgium (5%), Italy and the UK (both 4.9%) followed close on the heels of the Spanish. Although only accounting for 2.1% of the global trade, the value of the Russian market for imported pineapples grew strongly between 2017 and 2018 (+16%) to reach $57.9 million (52,697 tons).

4y5 de junio Valencia’19

El Punto de Encuentro del sector hortofrutícola Más Información: https://www.aecoc.es/minisite/ congreso-frutas-hortalizas/

ALGUNOS PONENTES DEL CONGRESO

Patrocina:

Eugenio Morales Director de SOCOMO en Grupo CARREFOUR

Marc Amorós Periodista, guionista, escritor, analista de fake news y colaborador de Cadena SER

Gonzalo Úrculo Co-Fundador & CEO de NARANJAS DEL CARMEN y CROWDFARMING

Marta Munné Consultora de AECOC ShopperView

José Antonio Santana Director de Soluciones y Transformación Digital en CARREFOUR España

Nieves Jerez Socia y Consejera Delegada de GRUPO LURIA

Magnus Lindkvist Trendspotter y futurólogo

Ricardo Alcón Business Development Manager en NIELSEN

Colabora:

Organiza:

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60

Tropical

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

Global persimmon crop nears 6 million mark Top exporter Spain has seen a 22% boost to its output

W

orld production of persimmons has increased by an average of 4.9% per year for the last decade. It rose 6.7% in 2017 to reach 5.75 million tons, of which only about a tenth is exported. And in leading persimmon exporter Spain, production climbed 22.5% in 2017 to over 400,000 tons – or 7% of global production – over the same period and is expected to continue expanding rapidly. China is by far the world’s biggest grower of persimmons, however, accounting for 72% of global output, while Asia as a whole delivers 84% of the total. Next comes Europe with 8% – with Spain growing 88% of its persimmons – then the Middle East with 5% and Latin America 3%. Based on FAOSTAT and ITC Trademap data, these were among the figures presented by Wayne Prowse, senior analyst of Australian firm Fresh Intelligence Consulting, at the Fruitnet World of Fresh Ideas event in Berlin in February.

THE TOP PERSIMMON EXPORTERS: SPAIN, AZERBAIJAN Most of the world’s large producers of persimmons retain most of their crop for domestic use, leaving Spain, Azerbaijan, China and Uzbekistan to jointly account for 82% of global exports, Prowse said. Spain is by far the biggest exporter, shipping about 191,000 tons last year. Though this total was down 11% year-on-year, the country has logged a solid compound annual growth rate (CAGR)

of 5% per year for the four years since 2014. Prowse told ED later that adverse weather conditions in 2018, including a frost and then hail storms in the Valencia region where most persimmons (also known as Kaki) are grown, affected 30-40% of production, temporarily reducing exports, but a recovery and further increases in exports are expected in 2019. After Spain comes Azerbaijan, with exports of about 116,000 tons last year and an impressive CAGR of 14%. Then comes the world’s top grower, China, with exports of about 68,000 tons last year on the back of 2% growth YoY and a CAGR of 15% since 2014. Breathing down China’s neck now, in the wake of a 36% CAGR over the last four years, is Uzbekistan with about 57,000 tons (-18% YoY). South Korea rounds out the top five with about 5,700 tons, having slipped from nearly 7,800 tons in 2014.

KEY PERSIMMON TRADE FLOWS Explaining the main persimmon trade flows, Prowse said while Spain’s exports mainly stay within Europe, some reach beyond to the Middle East, Asia and North America. Unsurprisingly, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan supply Russia and other CIS countries, while China’s fruit tends not to go leave the Asian region. Russia is the world’s top persimmon importer and together with the other CIS countries took just under 188,000 tons last year, mostly from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, with some smaller, though increasing, volumes arriving from China. While this volume was down 6% YoY, it represents a CAGR of 14% for the four years since 2014, when Europe was was a significant supplier to Russia. Europe,

World persimmon production shares

Global production 5.75 million tons European production 456,000 tons Producer % Asia

84

Europe

8

Latin Am

3

Middle East

5

which is largely supplied internally by Spain, now comes second. Its volume fell 10% in 2018 to about 160,000 tons but it still averaged growth of 6% a year over the previous four years. In third place, Asia stands out with a CAGR of 16%, though its imports slipped 2% last year to about 71,000 tons. Though its total seems small in comparison, persimmon imports to the Middle East have logged a striking CAGR of 30% that exceeded 9,000 tons in 2017, though dipped 24% to 7,200 tonnes in 2018. Meanwhile, North American imports have shown little change, hovering around 5,000 tons for the last four years. »JB » Source: FAOSTAT; Fresh Intelligence analysis

Turkey’s pomegranate exports surge 20% World pomegranate production (vol) shares

of -2% since 2014, according to ITC Producer % Tr a d e m a p d a t a China 36 analysis by Wayne Iran 20 P ro w s e , s e n i o r India 17 analyst at SydneyTurkey 11 based Fresh IntelliUS 7 gence Consulting.

Spain 1 Prowse’s presentaOther 8 tion at the Fruitnet World of Fresh Ideas event in Berlin in February also showed that closing in on Spain is India, which with a striking CAGR of 25% has more than doubled its exports to about 48,000 tons, t’s far from the world’s biggest grower, but Turkey re- increasing its trade to the Middle East and overtaking the mains the powerhouse of global pomegranate exports. United States in the process. The US, in contrast, has Its volume for 2018 was up a fifth on the previous year seen its tonnage shrink 4% YoY and at a CAGR since to nearly 197,000 tons and it has logged a compound 2014 of -10% to just over 25,000 tons, most of which annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% for the four previous goes to neighbouring Canada. The US has done the the years. Turkey’s strategic location makes it a natural for whole industry a favour though – its pomegranate marsupplying its key markets of Europe, the Middle East keting programmes have raised the fruit’s profile worldand Russia. A distant second is Spain, which shipped wide, Prowse said. Rounding out the top five exporters just over 50,000 tons last year, mainly within Europe. is Iran, which has modest exports notwithstanding its This volume was down by a tenth on 2017 for a CAGR status as the planet’s largest pomegranate producer.

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Four years ago it shipped about 20,000 tons but last year this had declined to well under 2,000, according to official trade data.

GLOBAL OUTPUT APPROACHING 4.5 MILLION TONS On the production side, the total for 2018 was close to 4.5 million tons, two-thirds of which was grown by the trio of China, Iran and India. China alone delivered a third of the total volume, Iran a fifth and India 17%. Next came Turkey, the top exporter, with 11%, the US with 7% and Spain 1%. As for the leading pomegranate markets, the Middle East now ranks first in demand, having overtaken both Russia/CIS and Europe since 2014 with its hearty appetite for the fruit. Imports in this region were up 20% in 2018 to just over 100,000 tons for a robust CAGR since 2014 of 9%. Next is Europe, with fairly steady demand over 90,000 tons despite slipping 3% last year. Russia/ CIS comes not too far behind with about 75,000 tons, representing YoY growth of 30% but a much more modest 4-year CAGR of 1%. Trailing well behind are the markets of Asia (supplied mostly from India) and North America. »JB » Source: Fresh Intelligence analysis from multiple sources and estimates

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I X W O R L D AV O C A D O CONGRESS - C

»»Mission Produce

expands distribution of Minis and Emeralds in its Rough line of avocado Mission Produce, the world leader in producing, marketing and distributing Hass avocado, has expanded its Rough lines of Minis and Emeralds. “Our concept was to sell the whole tree, reduce waste and be more sustainable,” said Roberto Rodriguez, export sales manager. “Rough outside, but flavourful on the inside – that is the idea we want to convey to our customers.

Consumers used to have a negative perception of imperfect produce, so we used to sell our Grade 2 avocados to the food service sector. Two years ago, we started to use value-added packaging and market imperfect avocados, explaining to our clients that exterior flaws do not influence the quality and taste of the avocados; and we have achieved our goal – the perception of consumers has changed.” Another concept introduced by Mission Produce, Minis Small but Mighty, is also in great demand. “We have distributed these lines with great success in North America and we’re expanding them to other markets. We displayed samples at our stand at Fruit Logistica, and got considerable interest from the Fair visitors,” said Rodriguez.

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SEPTEMBER 23 TO 27 PLAZA MAYOR - CONVENTION CENTER MEDELLIN - 2019

¿How can your company be part of this unique event?

AvoTalks Specialized conferences focused on industry topics.

If you are a company eager to share your knowledge with the specialized audience of the congress, the AvoTalks are a perfect option for your brand.

Avolab New products and developments in nutraceutical and cosmetic practices.

This space is for companies that are developing products from the benefits of avocado, looking for new suppliers or wanting to open new markets.

»»AvoBravo

AvoTaste

to offer largest assortment of tropical and exotic fruits AvoBravo is a project launched by Eurofruit, a fruit importer from St. Petersburg. “I visited Indusfood to find out which mango varieties can be exported from India,” said Daria Mironenko, import manager. “Mangoes and avocados are the hallmark of our project, and we intend to offer all varieties of mango available from different countries.” Mironenko also met exporters of other exotics such as papaya, lychees and guava. Eurofruit has been importing fruit for many years; some time ago, the company decided to launch the AvoBravo project to offer tropical and exotic fruits and vegetables. The healthy life style trend has become widespread, and tropical and exotics are part of healthy diets as they contain a lot of vitamins and microelements. As part of the AvoBravo project, Eurofruit will import tropical and niche fruit and vegetables for the retail and food service sectors. The company’s products will be sold through special fruit kiosks with ready-to-eat tropical and exotics, fresh smoothies, guacamole, etc. “Exotic products are usually available in one country for a short period only, therefore, we should find partners in different climate areas to offer year-round supply,” said Mironenko. “I visit all of the professional fairs of the fruit sector where novelties are displayed; we will offer the largest assortment of niche products through our AvoBravo project.”

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Tropical

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

68 million boxes of Mexican mango for 2019

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mpacadoras de Mango de Exportación (EMEX) will turn 28 in October. It groups 75 mango packers in Mexico with a hydrothermal treatment plant for the export of mango to international markets, mainly to the United States, which accounts for 90% of total exports. In 2018, the Association exported 65 million boxes of 4 kilos, and the projection for 2019 is to achieve 5% more, that is 68 million. Francisco Javier Villegas Ontiveros, chairman of the board of directors, said, «Our main market is US, with more than 90%, followed by Canada with 7%, and the remaining 3% is distributed in Asia, Oceania and Europe. The reason for our presence at Fruit Logistica, for the second year in a row, is to diversify our markets, while promoting the export of mango by ship to the EU. We believe there is a lot to develop in this market.» EMEX coordinates mango packers and producers in terms of research, phytosanitation, post-harvest treatment, and packing improvement, marketing.

It takes care of the interests of this industry, functioning as an assistant in the coordination with Mexican and

foreign authorities in the development of activities to be carried out jointly in the handling of the mango, nurturing the necessary conditions for the proper functioning of the work programmes and for the general improvement of the industry.

2ND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MANGO PRODUCERS AND PACKERS One of the functions of EMEX is to promote new technologies for its members, be they in the mechanisation of processes in the field, in cultivation work or in packaging.

That is why in 2017 it set up an International Congress of Mango Producers and Packers. This year, on November 21 and 22, the second edition will be held in Puerto Vallarta, where companies can offer innovations, while researchers can present their work. «Mexico is the world’s leading mango exporter and its fifth producer. We must position our local industry and attract other mango producers and exporters around the world to build the same vision,» said Villegas.

»»Aurora Fresh

»»DFT

high-quality Guatemalan mango DFT (Distribuidora de Frutas Tropicales) is a Guatemalan company founded in 2000 that grows, packages and markets mangoes of the Tommy Atkins, Ataulfo, Kent and Keitt varieties. Luis Carlos Martínez, general manager, said, “We started exporting Tommy Atkins mango to the United States and we gradually managed to expand in the North American market on the east and west coast, and in Canada and Europe.» Recently, the company has begun exporting mango to Chile after years of discussions between the governments of Guatemala and Chile, and DFT was the pioneer in sending the first fruits. The firm has more than 400 hectares of mango production, «which allows us to control the entire crop cycle.» The harvest season in Guatemala begins in February and ends in June. As part of its growth plans, DFT built a frozen food processing plant in 2016, and began producing mango pulp and frozen mango pieces in IQF. «Although our strength has always been in the fresh product, in order to diversify and add value to our material, we decided to enter the world of frozen products. Our vision for our processed mango is to reach new markets and position ourselves as a leading company in the region and to sell mango all year round,» said Martínez. DFT has a USDA-certified packaging plant for hydrothermal treatment, as well as GlobalG.A.P., Primus GFSI, and HACCP certifications, and is currently undergoing BRC certification.

The plant can process over 1.5 million 4kg box of mangoes per season, pack 6kg boxes in ‘ready to eat’ air mode, up to 2,000kg per week, and process 3.6 million kg of frozen mango.

seeks to export mango to Asia in 2019 Aurora Fresh begins a year of many challenges, with a special focus on Asia.

Already present in markets such as Europe, which accounts for almost half of its exports, as well as in the US and Canada, the firm’s goal is to export mango to Japan in 2019. «This is a very demanding market, but we can comply with the required quality levels,» said Armando Figueroa, operations manager at the third-generation family business of Mexican avocado and mango producers.

«We are very close to the US, so there is a lot of competition to get to that market, which is why we are seeking alternative destinations. We have been growing gradually, experimenting and expanding. Eventually, we want to get to China, but the limitation is that our country still has no commercial treaty to export mango to that market.» With a commercial window that runs from February to August, and 800 hectares of fruit production, in the last campaign, Aurora Fresh produced 80,000 boxes of mango of the Ataulfo, Kent, Tommy and Haden varieties, and organic and conventional avocado, available all year round. As an added value, Figueroa said, «We have great synergy with the producers. We always try to support them as much as possible by offering good advice.» The Aurora Fresh brand is being patented this year to establish it in the international markets.

»»GoMango

expects to double production in under 3 years Since 2001, GO MANGO has been producing Keitt mangoes in Puerto Rico. It currently has 1,000 acres in production, representing 200 annual export containers, and 500 acres are now being incorporated. «When we started the company, we planted the trees in a more compact area with the idea of acquiring more land in the future, moving the trees and expanding. We have just acquired a transplant machine and expect to double production in less than three years,» said Eileen Rodríguez, quality & compliance manager.

The main market for GO MANGO is the EU, where 75% of the fruit is destined and where the largest customer base is concentrated.

«The Netherlands and Germany are the main markets, although we are seeing that the UK is demanding more and more volume. Our interest is to continue expanding and raising brand awareness,» said Rodríguez. The firm also exports green mango to the US, especially for Asian consumers in that country. Rodriguez announced that the company’s next acquisition is a system of «forced cold», a technology that cools the fruit quickly, slowing the ripening process and extending the life of the fruit. In addition to having certificates such as GLOBALG.AP, GRASP, Tesco and SMETA, in 2011, GO MANGO completed the integration of the fruit washing process with solar thermal heating, which allows it to heat all the water necessary for sterilising and processing mangoes before refrigeration and shipment. This saves 80% of energy resources. Similarly, the firm has installed solar panels on the roof of the packaging house, which allows it to produce 100% of the energy for its operations.

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»»Zespri’s

SunGold kiwis conquer Europe

»»Oro Verde

seeks to develop the Asian market As avocado producers, Oro Verde knows first-hand the demands of the market and has carved out its own identity as a leading company serving customers and their changing needs. The 800 hectares it has in production in Michoacán and Jalisco allow it to export, depending on the season, between 10 and 18 containers per week - its packing plant still has the capacity to double these volumes. Managing director, Fabián Orozco, said, «We distribute fruit in Europe and the US, and we are working on China as our third market.

Our strategy is to diversify export destinations. In the next stage, we are interested in developing markets such as Japan or South Korea. For this season, we have a project to ship to Chile during the months of fruit scarcity there.» Two recent innovations introduced by Oro Verde are an irrigation system in the field, with the consultancy of an Israeli company; and its packing plant has incorporated new boxes that allow the fruit to travel better. «Our goal is still to expand our fields to try to supply our own fruit most of the year without relying on third parties,» said Orozco. In addition to having certifications such as GLOBALG.A.P. and PrimusLab, Oro Verde has an organic production certificate, which over the coming years will cover 25% of its total production.

Your guarantee

of excellence!

V.U.: Nele Moorthamers - Zespri International (Europe) NV - Posthofbrug 10-3 - B-2600 Berchem

“Last summer saw a good kiwi crop in New Zealand, with an extended harvest period.

Therefore, market conditions were not favourable and the season was long and challenging,” said Nele Moorthamers, head of marketing for Europe.

“The new Zespri season will soon begin and the initial indications are good. It will kick off on 29th April with SunGold, to be followed two weeks later by green kiwi. For the first time, SunGold volumes will be similar to those of green kiwi - both around 75 million trays. We are very proud of our SunGold variety.” Demand for SunGold still exceeds supply; the variety is popular in Asia, but European consumers have also come to appreciate its delicious taste. Attracting consumers for SunGold does not necessarily mean a fall in sales of green kiwi as the SunGold variety is so special. As it is sweeter and juicier, new consumers consider to be a rather different product from green kiwi, and many consumers eat both varieties at different times, as they respond to different needs. Zespri’s Europe division’s current marketing policy is to consolidate its position in its existing markets. “Spain, Germany and the Benelux countries are our largest markets, followed by France and Italy. These are our main focus markets in Europe to extend our consumer base for the SunGold variety and to build a meaningful consumer brand,” said Moorthamers. Zespri is the world’s largest marketer of kiwifruit, selling to more than 54 countries and handling 30% of the global traded volume.

Grown and harvested following the ‘Zespri System’, Zespri kiwifruit meets the most stringent quality and environmental standards.

The Zespri label on each kiwifruit guarantees wholesome kiwifruit of the best quality with a consistent and perfect taste.

www.zespri.EU

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TECHNOLOGY

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

More eco-friendly packaging »»NNZ Compostable Paper-Vento

Reducing the impact of packaging is a necessity for the industry.

The latest generation of Paper-Vento paper bags from NNZ is a 100% compostable, biodegradable and recyclable bag. A bioplastic film window allows you to see the product.

The high quality printing uses water-based inks.

The pouch, which is made on a vertical packaging machine, seals easily and is strong

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uppliers are therefore offering more and more packaging which uses natural and renewable materials (grass, bioplastics...) but also recycled materials (plastic, cardboard...). Printing or laser marking, which avoids the need for stickers or packaging, is also developing. At the same time, the range of packaging for the snacking sector continues to grow.

»»From Koningh Laser marking

De Koningh offers a laser marking system for fruits and vegetables that avoids the use of stickers. Laser marking is especially suitable for products with a fairly thick skin such as citrus, melons, pomegranates...

It can be done on a line, at the rate of 0.5 s/ product or at a fixed position.

»»Giro Handle bag

Giro is launching a new horizontal presentation mesh bag, the handle bag, suitable for sizes from 0.5 to 1.5 kg. The top film band serves as a handle for ease of transport and handling. The film is welded by its larger ends (145 mm) which allows the bag to be closed at both sides. The bag can be made of knitted mesh or extruded tubular mesh.

»»SAP

Transparent biocompostable bag Saint-André Plastique have begun producing plastic bags which are home compostable and very transparent. The film incorporates 40% of bio sourced materials.

»»Modiform

Recycled paper and cardboard packaging Modiform offers a range of trays and specific packaging manufactured from recycled paper and cardboard, the EcoExpert range. Recycled paper and cardboard are transformed into pulp and moulded to the desired shape. The packaging is available in natural colour, in black, green, red and cream colour.

»»Guillin Group Stackable trays

The Guillin group is developing a range of stackable trays which save on space during transport and presentation. During thermoforming, the trays are stamped on the base and on the lids to allow the stacking of the trays and to keep them stable. The range includes trays either with lid attached or detached lid.

»»Smilesys Re-sealable film

Smile Lite is a patented film for covering trays that combines the functions of a peelable film and a resealable lid, so reducing the consumption of plastic.

Smilesys guarantees it will remain airtight and reseal more than 24 times. The film, supplied in rolls, is customizable and adaptable to any type of PET, PP, PET/ PE tray.

»»Infia Bucket with handle

Infia is offering a new bucket-shaped tray with a handle. The handle is thermoformed flat for ease of packing and transport then the handle can be opened out in store or by the consumer. The tray is available in 250 g and 500 g. As with all Infia PET trays now, it is PET recycled.

»»Scheufelen

A grass-based packaging material The German paper manufacturer Scheufelen has perfected Greenliner, a packaging material containing up to 50% grass, suitable for the manufacture of corrugated cardboard trays or small boxes. The grass fibre is manufactured in the form of pellets by mechanical compression of the dried grass (Hay).

The product is therefore completely recyclable and biodegradable. Energy consumption is also much lower than for wood fibres and water consumption is reduced to zero.

TECHNOLOGY

n°161

Zummo: 6 tips for choosing the right professional juicer for your business More and more people are following a healthy lifestyle today. So, it is vital for all food establishments to have tasty and original healthy offerings, with natural juices a must and professional juicers playing an essential role.

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s consumption trends evolve, we are facing a generation of demanding customers who demand healthy and premium products, even out of the home. This development can be observed in supermarkets, greengrocers, and convenience stores, where a growing supply of freshly squeezed juices can be found. Offering natural juices is essential, but they must be of the highest quality and as profitable as possible. This means the right choice of professional juicer is key. So, what factors should be considered when selecting the ideal juicer for your business?

Space is everything. A key point to consider is the space available in the establishment: do you have a large area or a small corner of a bar? Zummo has designed and manufactured professional juicers since 1992 and can offer every possible solution, from the most compact juicer, like the Z1 Nature, to the largest, like the Z40 Nature Adapt.

Matters of quantity. It is advisable to be realistic and objective when considering which juices will be offered on a daily basis. Each juicer model is designed to maximise profitability and functionality based on certain parameters, one of which is the quantity and continuity of juices to be squeezed. For instance: for moderate demand, the Z1 Nature squeezes 6.5 fruits per minute; for medium demand, the Z06 Nature

and Z14 Nature squeeze 10 and 16 fruits per minute respectively; and for high demand, the Z40 Nature Adapt squeezes 40 oranges per minute.

The appeal of variety. While orange juice is the classic option, other citrus fruits can also be squeezed.

Original flavours might make the difference for your business. Zummo offers solutions to squeeze all kinds of citrus and pomegranate.

If it’s good and easy, it’s twice as good. For those operating the machine, it is fundamental to have a simple and intuitive operation. Likewise, maintenance and cleaning should be simple. Minimal maintenance time, like that required by Zummo machines, translates into maximum profitability.

Trust comes first. Your juicer must be reliable and efficient, so having brand support is a determining factor. Zummo offers 360º solutions, accompanying and advising clients before and after the product purchasing process.

Taste is key. Zummo juicers have an outstanding squeezing system. The Efficient Vertical System (EVS)

is an exclusive method developed by the company whereby the juice never comes into contact with the fruit’s skin. This ensures that the juice maintains the purest and most natural flavour possible.

Considering all of these aspects when making your decision will guarantee the best results. Zummo juicers offer a multitude of possibilities and configurations. All details can be found at www.zummocorp. com or zummo@zummo.es

Squeezing solutions for your business Zummo Nature product line is designed to adapt to the spatial and performance needs of any business model.

www.zummocorp.com

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Advertorial

EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION May/June 2019

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TECHNOLOGY

n°161 May/June 2019 EUROFRESH-DISTRIBUTION

»»Graziani

opens new office in Chile

Graziani has expanded beyond the Atlantic Ocean with the opening of an office in Latin America: «We have chosen to enter what used to be our support company in Chile and will now be called Fematri Magic Packaging. This direct involvement, of which we already have experience in Spain, will allow the new company to directly serve the Latin American market, not just in Chile but also in neighbouring countries such as Peru and Central American countries. All of these markets are giving us great satisfaction. While large customers will continue to be supported directly by the parent company, the rest of the market will be handled by the new company,» said general manager, Roberto Graziani. Among its latest innovations presented at Macfrut 2019, Graziani has new lines of trays made from wood pulp and trays made of palm fibre, all eco-compatible and biodegradable materials. For transporting apples and pears, the firm has also presented a new line of cushions made entirely from high-quality food paper. These innovations join the ranks of the group’s star products, which include ultralight corner pieces and straps. The use of new and alternative materials guarantees the same resistance at lower production costs and with lower volume occupation and environmental impact.

»»Ser.mac

continues to develop HDiA visual technology Ser.mac is continuing the development of its HDiA visual technology for the superficial analysis of fruits that has spearheaded its offer for the past three years. «Every year we invest in improvements to this technology and the results have proven us right since we have orders from all over the world,» said managing director, Stefano Crociani. The 2019 version of HDiA is particularly innovative as it can be applied to different types of fruit not previously envisaged, thus extending its range of applications.

»»INFIA

presents new range of R-PET compartmented packaging INFIA has unveiled a new range of compartmented packaging dedicated especially to small fruits and made entirely of R-PET: «All of our efforts are directed towards the path of environmental sustainability and the circular economy that we have chosen to follow. The impact of our packaging in terms of CO₂ emissions is 70-80% lower than that of traditional packaging. The question is not whether or not to use plastic, but how to use it and how to dispose of it: if you do it properly, plastic can be an incredible resource, with endless possibilities for recycling,» said export manager, Alessandro Mariani. The firm presents four new types of packs: the 1500/50 KIT of 500g for small tomatoes, the 1500/4F KIT for larger fruit such as peaches or apples, the 29 KIT for grapes or tomatoes (available in different heights), and the K37/3 for berries.

»»MAF RODA

launches Bi-Axone, the new calibrator for Conference-type long pears MAF RODA has presented three major innovations on the international market: the first is Bi-Axone, the new sorter for elongated pears like Conference. The device allows complete scanning of the pear and is able to detect with great efficiency any kind of external and internal defect, thereby allowing complete quality control of the product. Secondly, MAF RODA has launched Line Pack, a new robot, and the heir of the Fast Pack line. This device allows automatic packaging and the placing the fruit in single or plateau cavities, with the orientation of the fruit according to its peduncular axis and colorimetric handling to allow positioning of the most coloured part upwards. Its optical system makes it possible to have a plateau filling that is as homogeneous as possible. The third and last innovation is the Berryscan, the software for detecting the external quality of blueberries. When combined with the Berryway electronic grading machine, it is designed to select small fruits with a diameter of between 9 and 25mm. Its integrated electronic detector ensures complete blueberry surface analysis.

»»TopControl presents the MHP 1200 combination weigher

TopControl has launched the MHP 1200, with its new technology for the combination weighing of fruit and vegetables connected to the StatisticsWeights system in an improved version. Designed for long-shaped vegetables, such as peppers, courgettes, aubergines, endives, cucumbers, radicchio, fennel, etc., the device is used to package single packages with a fixed weight in an automatic and intuitive manner, and represents the top of the range at the national level. Optimised for operation with most products, it is the perfect element for all vegetable packaging lines.

»»UNITEC

wins silver at Macfrut Innovation Awards with UNIQ Kiwi The three new technologies that the UNITEC Group presented at Fruit Logistica 2019 and relaunched at Macfrut 2019 are called UNIQ Kiwi, UNIQ Plum and UNIQ Apples. The UNIQ range is UNITEC’s latest high-performance solution for classifying internal fruit quality through non-invasive analysis. Indeed, UNIQ Kiwi won Silver Medal at the Macfrut 2019 Innovation Awards, underlining the group’s commitment to research. “At UNITEC, we firmly believe that at the heart of fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, there is the responsibility to keep the promises made to the consumer. The UNIQ range technology derives from our intent to allow the fruit and vegetable plants to maintain the pact with the final consumer. They allow fruit and vegetables to be enhanced through reliable classifications of internal quality, so that they have no more secrets. We are confident that this will bring a wave of confidence throughout the supply chain, from the producer to the final consumer,» said the firm’s president, Angelo Benedetti. Another star product sitting alongside the impressive UNIQ range is the Pears Sort 3, an innovative Unisorting technology that detects different classes of pear quality with extreme precision and reliability.

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