An expert panel told delegates at Asiafruit Market Insight about the need for investment and development in China’s logistics industry in order to keep up with the increasing imports and distribution of fresh produce.
Kurt Huang of Huizhan wholesale fruit and vegetable market led a session on the opportunities for suppliers to reach consumers in China, from chartered flights for fresh produce to reefer shipments and cold chain developments.
Steven Fang of China Eastern Airlines and Ralph Zhou of Seatrade China offered an overview of differing ways to improve transporting fresh produce to China, from chartered flights of cherries from Seattle to Shanghai, to the advantages of specialised reefer shipping for perishable goods.
Tan Li-Jin of APC (Shanghai) Auction told delegates of the opportunities to auction agri-products, taking a business model developed in Europe and adapting and modernising it for the China market in order to boost transparency, offer fairer transactions and level out the agricultural playing field.
Joining the panel on stage for a discussion, Craig Bowyer of Swire Cold Storage spoke of his company’s work to develop China’s network for cold storage for the distribution of fresh produce, building on the opportunities in China as a result of the government's work to develop stronger food safety standards.
“There is a need for network of cold storage for distribution across China to ensure the quality of fresh fruit and vegetables, and Swire has been providing good support for the whole industry,” said Huang.
