More than 40 producers from Almeria gathered in El Ejido in southeastern Spain on Thursday for an event organised by Fruit Logistica 2015 to identify new export opportunities for the region’s fruits and vegetables in markets beyond the European Union and Russia.
The one-day conference was supported by trade promotion agency Extenda and the regional government of Andalucía, whose representative for the economy, innovation, science and employment, Adriana Valverde, inaugurated the event.
“Expanding the international focus of our companies is one of the key aspects of the new, more sustainable economic model we have been seeking to promote, through events like Fruit Logistica, since 2001 in order to consolidate the region’s position and find new customers,” Valverde said.
In all, 23 companies will form part of the Andalucía stand at next year’s trade fair in Berlin.
José Manuel Fernández Archilla of Vicasol shared his experience of Fruit Logistica with the assembled delegates. “We have been taking part in the fair since 2005 and although we are a well-known company, we will continue to participate,” he said. “Fruit Logistica is a platform from which to develop new projects with our customers. It allows us to analyse the situation within the industry, discover new ideas and market trends and transform them into new strategies.”
The conference also gave producers the opportunity to hear from importers in a diverse range of markets. Hani Ayloush, manager of Fruit Line Trading in the UAE, explained that Dubai was the gateway linking eastern and western markets. He urged Spanish producers to negotiate with transport companies in a bid to establish more direct shipments to the Middle East rather than going via the Netherlands.
