From the advantages of packhouse automation to the rising marketing power of influencers, the Asiafruit Business Forum offered Asia Fruit Logistica visitors a wide range of practical advice for managing their fresh produce businesses.
Laava’s Gavin Ger and Kitchener Partners’ Tristan Kitchener set the tone on Day One of the forum with a look at how digital technology is being refined to improve traceability through the supply chain.
Continuing the theme of ‘People & Production’ on Day One was a session on Global Women Fresh, a new networking platform for women in the fresh produce industry.
The opening day closed out with a presentation from Nihon Agri'sTakanori Iitsuka, who looked at how new production models are delivering higher value worldwide.
Day Two at the Asiafruit Business Forum turned the spotlight on ‘Packaging & Grading’. Amnon Sandman of the Johnson Matthey-invested packaging company Stepac and Sinclair’s Wil Murray began the day with a look at sustainable packaging solutions for fresh produce.
Later on Day Two, Unitec’s Nour Abdrabbo helped visitors weigh up the cost of investing in automated packaging and grading equipment. When doing the maths on the so-called ‘automation equation’, Abdrabbo suggested the most important sum is not the upfront cost but rather the calculation of the ‘payback period’.
The third and final day of the Asiafruit Business Forum was dedicated to ‘Marketing’. A session examining prospective openings for EU suppliers in China kicked off proceedings.
Tarun Arora of Indian importer-exporter IG International explained how his company is building awareness and desire for its IG Kiwi brand through brand ambassador and film star Sonu Sood.
The programme closed out with a look at how Indonesian exporter Java Fresh is differentiating its range of tropical fruits, in order to extract added value.
The revised format of the Asiafruit Business Forum in 2019, which saw sessions run on the hour from 11am each day, proved popular with visitors.
The Asiafruit Business Forum,Smart Horiculture Asia and Cool Logistics Asia formed a programme of Hall Forums at Asia Fruit Logistica (4-6 September). The Hall Forums attracted over 1,300 visitors over the the Asia Fruit Logistica Business Week.
A full wrap-up of the Asiafruit Business Forum and the Asia Fruit Logistica Business Week will appear in the October edition of Asiafruit Magazine.
