Fruit Logistica: a great success

Over 58,000 professional operators from 130 countries visited the 2013 edition of Fruit Logistica, the international fresh produce show held in Berlin from 6th to 8th February last.

Hence the Messe Berlin organizers were satisfied, both for the presence of international agrarian policymakers, as well as for the quality of the exchanges achieved during the days of the fair, the visitors, in general high level decision maker, in fact bore witness to excellent contacts they had with the wholesale and retail trade, with fresh produce producers, exporters and importers. Record breaking too the number exhibitors (90% of which from abroad); 2,543 from 78 countries, representing the entire fresh produce sector  that ensures the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables of the best quality possible in all season. Over a third of the exhibitors declared to have presented an innovation or the development of an already existing product. 88.3% positively rated the commercial success of their taking part at the fair. 45% actually clinched business deals.

Worthy of note too the massive Italian presence: with 453 companies Italy again confirmed its position this year as the first exhibiting country at Fruit Logistica. A presence this that «well reflected the importance of the interchange of fruit and vegetables between Italy and Germany and more in general the intensity of the bilateral economic relations between the two countries» (from a declaration made by Elio Menzione, Italian Ambassador to Germany). As what is more, as laid down by the Administrator of Messer Berlin GmbH, Dr. Christian Göke, the quality criteria of the 2013 edition was the international nature of the show, the high decisional competence of the sector operators, the global overview offered onto the market and the representation of the innovatory force of the segment. The next Fruit Logistica is scheduled from 5th to 7th February 2014.

Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2013: the winners
First place to the "City Farming" concept of the Dutch Staay Food Group. A special LED lighting enables the cultivation of seeds in 35 days, regardless of the normal growing season. The growth conditions enable the non use of pesticides, whle temperature irrigation and nutrients are regulated independently. A continuous and non-polluting production also in consideration of the continued growth of the world population.
 
In second place, chosen by visitors, the product "Apfel-Schiffchen" (small pieces of vessel shaped apples) developed by the German Elbe-Obst Vertriebs GmbH: an innovative drying process maintains the crispiness of the product and the pulp of the fruit does not darken.
 
Third  place went to the English Tozer Seeds Ltd "Flower Sprout TM", a cross between the cabbage and Brussels sprouts with green leaves bearing purple specks.
 
The Supermarket Globus SB was awarded the Fruchthandel Magazine Retail Award 2013: its fruit and vegetable sector was chosen via a market research study carried out by the company Gfk of Nuremberg.