ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA premier a clear success, attracting large numbers of visi-tors from Asia

"These visitor numbers are very pleasing and they reflect the dynamics of today's fresh fruit and vegetable business in Asia," said Grald Lamusse, managing director of Global Produce Events GmbH, which organised ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. Two-thirds of visitors (63. 8 per cent) came from Asia, with four out of every five visitors (85.1 per cent) having a key purchasing or procurement role in their companies or organisations, according to a visitor survey.

The three-day event which attracted 3,114 trade visitors from 54 countries ran alongside the Asiafruit Congress, Asia's leading fresh produce business conference, and took place from 5-7 September 2007 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, which was officially opened by Thailand’s agriculture and cooperatives minister, attracted 116 exhibitors from 24 countries, including national pa-vilions from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Argentina, South Africa and France was well as companies and organisations from major supplying countries such as China, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands and the USA. Exhibition space at this first event totaled some 3,200 square metres.

Two-thirds (63.8 per cent) of trade visitors who attended ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA came from Asia, the world's fastest growing market for fresh produce. Europe (12.7 per cent), Australia and New Zealand (9.5 per cent) and North America (5.9 per cent) were also very well represented, with trade visitors also coming to the three-day trade fair from Africa (3.1 per cent), Middle East (2.5 per cent) and South America (2.5 per cent). More than 90 per cent of trade visitors also expressed a positive overall impression of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, according to a visitor survey.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA took place together with the Asiafruit Congress, which cele-brated its 10th anniversary. Some 650 delegates from 54 countries worldwide attended the three-day conference, which was addressed by speakers and expert panelists from companies and organisations from all over the world. This year's Asiafruit Congress included presentations from organisations such as TNS, Accenture and Rabobank Inter-national and featured expert panelists from major fresh produce businesses in the re-gion. The conference included an Asian Retail Panel made up of Asia's leading super-market groups, such as Tesco, Wellcome, Metro, Siam Makro and Reliance.

"The convention-style concept with the congress in the mornings and the exhibition in the afternoon is clearly the right format for the Asian trade, the signs for next year’s event are very positive and we are confident that the Asian produce trade will make ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and Asiafruit Congress its very own annual meeting point" concluded Lamusse.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and the Asiafruit Congress takes place on 10-12 September 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong, China.

COMMENTS

Visitors

"This event is just going to get bigger and bigger." Noel Shield, President of Produce, Central Food Retail Co, Thailand.

"We have found ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and Asiafruit Congress to be excellent. The networking is particularly good, with lots of people here from all over the world. It’s a good start for the trade fair this year and I am sure it will grow very quickly." SD Sarava-nan, Business Head, Fresh Produce & Frozen Food, Reliance Retail, India.

"The show is very good, with strong displays and a wide representation from the interna-tional produce trade. It’s certainly a good place to network." Roland Wong, WT Vision, Singapore.

Exhibitors

"We’re very impressed with the quality and volume of visitors and the range of compa-nies and countries represented. We see ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA/Asiafruit Congress becoming one of the three major events on the international fresh produce trade calen-dar together with Fruit Logistica in Germany and PMA in the US. When you combine the three events, you have most of the world covered." Jeff Correa, Pear Bureau Northwest, US.

"We’re very pleased with the show – we expected fewer visitors after the first day, but it’s been very busy again today (day two). So much so that we haven’t had time to go around and see the other stands." Dawn Gray, General Manager, International Market-ing, Enza, New Zealand.

"We have received a huge amount of interest from buyers. Almost all of our 1,000 bro-chures have gone in this first day of the exhibition." Elaine Alexander, Executive Direc-tor, South African Table Grape Industry (SATI).
"There are a good number of importers and exporters here at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. We have a whole bowl filled with business cards and think there will be further contact with many of the people here." Prapaporn Sathianjarukan, Asia-Europe Service Team Executive, APL, Thailand.

"The format of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and Asiafruit Congress works well as there is a balance of presentations at the conference in the morning and time to network at the exhibition in the afternoon. Both the conference and exhibition are very well organised." Kelvin Bezuidenhout, Marketing Manager for Taiwan, Hong Kong and South East Asia, Zespri, New Zealand.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO)

The impressive Japanese national pavilion featured a delectable array of fruit and vege-tables from several different regions of the country. Nine Japanese companies or or-ganisations showcased their products under the pavilion, which was coordinated by the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro). The new Japan-Thailand Free Trade Agreement, which is scheduled to take effect later this year, could boost Japanese fruit exports to Thailand by 30-50 per cent, Jetro’s Seiji Tazo predicts. The trade pact would cut or eliminate Thailand’s tariffs on a range of Japanese temperate fruit, such as ap-ples, pears, peaches and grapes, making suppliers more competitive in the Thai market. Nevertheless, prices are still likely to remain relatively high given the premium quality of production. Okayama prefectural government showcased its Pione grape, a fragrant, purplish-black cross between Muscat and Kyoho, which is usually given as a gift and retails for 3-5,000 per kg domestically. Shizuokaken Muskmelon Growers Cooperative exhibited its greenhouse-grown muskmelons, which fetch between US$100 and US$250 each in Japan. Also featured were Date Mirai peaches and strawberries from Fukushima Basin, north of central Japan, and apples from Aomori Prefecture.

FMC Foodtech

FMC FoodTech, the global provider of post-harvest solutions, used the opening day of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA to launch its Comprehensive Food Safety Programme for the Chinese fresh fruit industry. The programme is designed to ensure that China, one of the world’s largest citrus growers with an output of over 16m tonnes in 2006, meets the highest international industry standards, including requirements set by the US Food and Drug Administration and China’s Ministry of Health. FMC’s programme, which targets the specific needs of China’s diverse fruit operations, focuses on a range of food safety services including consulting services to establish Good Agricultural Practices, HACCP, packhouse auditing and critical residue and pathogen testing services. "We have posi-tioned ourselves in all of China’s major growing areas to provide hands on experience in executing our Food Safety Programme," said Dr Cheng, R&D manager for FMC Food-tech’s FPT Business.

Dole Asia

Dole Asia exhibited a wide range of products at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, including several innovative new lines such as ready-to-eat sweetcorn, bagged salads and dried pineapples. "Our vacuum-packed sweetcorn is only at the trial stage, but it’s attracted strong interested at the show," explained manager of business development Johann M Albano. "Our bagged salads are not yet a mainstream product, but they’re growing in popularity and we offer them with a healthy dressing. We also just began supplying dried pineapples to the New Zealand market and we can offer dried papaya and dried mango." Banana exports, particularly to Japan, continue to be the leading product line for Dole Asia, and the company exhibited its Sweetio-branded sweet highland bananas for the Japanese market. But Mr Albano said the company’s stand at ASIA FRUIT LO-GISTICA is designed to underline Dole’s pan-Asian presence and diverse product range. "The show has been very enjoyable and we’re pleased with the number of visi-tors," he commented.

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)

SQUARE watermelons were one of the eye-catching products on the Taiwan pavilion run by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). The box-shape wa-termelons come in two types – one that is decorative and one that is edible. Both kinds are predominantly given as gifts and wrapped with ribbon, retailing for around US$15 per piece. TAITRA’s Tony Liu said the square watermelon has two seasons during the year. While Japan is the main export market for Taiwanese fruits, China has recently opened up and it is an emerging market, Mr Liu noted. Mangoes and pineapples were also among the products featured on the Taiwanese pavilion. "Japan is a key market for our mangoes and demand is increasing, but the big growth has come in Korea this year, thanks to our promotions there," he said. "We produce many kinds of pineapple, but Golden pineapple – or Number 17 – is our most popular and this is being exported to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore."

California Table Grape Commission

The California Grape Commission promoted its new ’Real American’ branding for Cali-fornia grapes at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. "We have introduced the Real American campaign to differentiate California grapes from Chinese competition at point-of-sale," said Susan Day, vice-president of international marketing for the California Table Grape Commission. "A lot of Asian consumers are looking to buy California grapes, but there is some confusion. California and Chinese Red Globe can look the same but they don’t eat the same or have the same characteristics. Unless retailers clearly show consumers which is which then we have a problem." Although Chinese grapes are providing more competition for California in South East Asia, Ms Day notes that lack of consistency and shelf life remain major issues for Chinese suppliers. The Real American campaign is also designed to counter the ongoing issues with Chinese suppliers fraudulently apply-ing the California grapes label to their product, Ms Day added.

Namdhari Fresh

Indian fresh produce grower-exporter Namdhari Fresh has recently made a foray into the Middle East market with iceberg lettuce, according to company director Harpal Singh. "We have introduced iceberg in a big way for the Middle East markets," he said. "They have traditionally imported this product from Holland but they’re finding that they can get just as good quality from us for half the price." Namdhari Fresh is a key supplier of vegetables, particularly exotic vegetables, while its fruit exports are dominated by grapes and pomegranates. The Bangalore-based company, whose production is EurepGAP-certified, is also seeking to develop shipments to European markets. In addi-tion to exporting, Namdhari imports fruit and vegetables and runs its own chain of retail stores in India. "We have 20 stores – 15 in Bangalore and five in Delhi. These specialise in retailing high quality, pesticide-free fresh produce," said Mr Singh. "Our store numbers are multiplying fast."

Hebei Tianbo Industry & Trade Co

Gavin Bian, managing director of leading Chinese pear exporter Hebei Tianbo, is very pleased with launch of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. "We began attending the Asiafruit Congress four years ago and we’ve met many customers through this event," he said. "The event has got better and better each year and this year is the best one yet, thanks to the launch of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. The exhibition makes this trade show the perfect place to meet our customers and establish new business contacts."

Hebei Tianbo is budgeting for a 20 per cent increase in its pear exports to some 20,000 tonnes this year, according to Mr Bian. "The crops are looking strong, and the quality is generally good, but the business is very competitive," he said. "While grower prices are at a more workable level this year, seafreight costs have increased by as much as 30 per cent." The company supplies 13 varieties of pears, with Ya, Su, Golden and Century being the leading products. Asia, Europe and the US and Canada are its main markets.

Enza

Leading New Zealand pipfruit exporter Enza offered tastings of its newly branded Envy apple at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.

Enza has secured the rights to the new variety, which was developed by New Zealand fruit science company HortResearch. The variety is a Royal Gala-Braeburn cross called Scilate, and it will be sold under the brand name Envy.

"The Envy apple is higher in sugar and lower in acid than the Jazz, so we think it will have particular appeal to the Asian and North American markets," said Alistair Petrie, GM of the New Zealand division for Enza’s parent company Turners & Growers.

Enza’s GM Dawn Gray said that Envy would not be commercially available for several years, as the trees are just being planted, but Enza is targeting 12-month supply of the variety by growing fruit in both hemispheres. "Production is currently at the trial stage, with 4,300 trees in the ground and a further 10,000 trees being planted globally this year," she said. "The idea of our fruit as a special treat is catching on in Asia. It is about making our fruit varieties almost a luxury item and getting customers to think, ’I aspire to try that’."

AND Services

Organics are the new focus for Australian fresh produce exporter AND Services, which has been shipping a small organic fruit and vegetable range to Singapore.

AND Services director Allan Anderson said the company would expand organic exports to Thailand and Hong Kong after Singapore.

The organic products include but are not limited to grapes, mandarins, oranges, lemons, avocados and carrots.

Conventionally-grown fruit exports have been the company’s primary focus since its opening in 2004 and it specialises in table grapes, avocados, citrus and stonefruit. Table grapes account for the majority of exports, with volumes reaching 2,000 tonnes this sea-son.

The company is looking to build on its strong export customer bases in Singapore, Thai-land and Malaysia, he said. "We have been conducting talks with Indian buyers for our late-market grape and want to expand into Vietnam and Sri Lanka. China is also a tar-get," he said. "I am extremely pleased with the show, I’ve made a lot of new contacts."

APL Co

THE Thai arm of Singaporean transportation and carrier company APL is to launch a new shipping service between Thailand and Turkey via Singapore on 1 November.

The new route will expand Thailand’s array of export destinations and also be used to ship goods from China and Korea.

"The commodities to be traded are yet to be finalised," said APL Asia-Europe service team executive Prapaporn Sathianjarukan

In another development, APL has just opened a route from Thailand to New York via Singapore and maintained a world-best transit time of 25 days, she said.

Finger Limeing Goods

Australian company Finger Limeing Goods, the world’s only commercial grower of the exotic finger lime, is in its second year of production and expects the coming season to yield 1 or 2 tonnes.

"Finger limes are unusual, distinctly sour and have an unique connection to caviar due to their internal appearance. People see them as extravagant and elegant, " said owner of Finger Limeing Goods James Boyd.

Finger Limeing Goods is based in New South Wales (NSW) and deals with five of the 60-plus, predominantly non-commercial native lime varieties discovered in the early 1990s in rainforests lining the Queensland/NSW border.

The finger lime can only grow in a sub-tropical climate and is in season from December until June.

Finger Limeing Goods exports 70 per cent of its production to high-end restaurants and five-star hotels in the US and the UK as well as servicing Australia’s domestic market.
"We want to break into Asia, particularly Japan, Hong Kong and the Middle East," he said. "Our presence at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is working well – everyone at the exhi-bition is friendly and helpful."

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is organised by Global Produce Events GmbH. The company is a joint venture between Messe Berlin and the London-based media company, Fruitnet Ltd.

Ms Sinenart Baramirattanachai (Sinenart@gp-events.com,
Tel: +662-6700608)