Fruitnet Citrus Congress tackles citrus consumption challenge

Around 250 people from 18 countries gathered in Valencia this week for the inaugural Fruitnet Citrus Congress.

Experts from the citrus business and other produce categories such as berries, avocados and kiwifruit discussed new strategies to boost sales of fresh citrus at the conference and networking event, which took place at Valencia’s iconic Museum of Science, in the Santiago Calatrava-designed City of Arts and Sciences.

Delegates heard how the commoditisation of the citrus category has resulted in low prices and stagnant growth in recent years, particularly in oranges. While the sector undoubtedly faces a considerable challenge to boost flagging sales, the mood was upbeat as a range of different solutions to improve the outlook for citrus suppliers were discussed over the course of the day.

Tom Hole of Kantar suggested that a move toward premiumisation would entice more people – particularly younger consumers – to buy citrus. With the cost of living crisis having eased, he said shoppers were looking to trade up, highlighting the growth in sales of tropical fruit as evidence that consumers are willing to spend more for the right products.

“Younger shoppers are switching to more exciting categories for snacking. Citrus companies need to bring them clean, convenient options that signpost the health benefits and taste of their products,” he said.

Presenting Olympic Fruit’s research into Dutch consumption habits, Hugo A-Tjak suggested that the increased trend for snacking offered a real opportunity for citrus companies.

Stephan Weist of Rewe and Philippe Binard of the World Citrus Organisation discussed the strong competition citrus faces from other produce categories when it comes to fighting for shelf space, and the fact that citrus is not delivering the same returns per square metre of shelf space as other fruits.

On the subject of health, Zespri’s Nele Moorthamers and Shelly Vorster from the World Avocado Organisation set out the ways in which investments in health messaging and nutritional research have boosted sales of kiwifruit and avocados, suggesting that the citrus business could also gain from this approach.

The power of branding was also discussed, with Marieke Appel of Driscoll’s and Carlo Magni of Forward Insight & Strategy setting out the key ingredients needed to create a strong brand identity that allows you to connect directly with consumers.

Salvador Martinez of Obeikan highlighted the role that packaging can play in helping a company to elevate its brand, while José Enrique Sanz of the Naranjas Valencianas PGI explained how linking a product’s quality and reputation to a specific geographical origin can also help growers to differentiate their products in the market.

It was also recognised that brands are built on the guarantee of quality and consistency. Tomra’s Chris Johnstone outlined the role that cutting-edge technologies such as AI and deep learning can play in helping companies to deliver that quality and consistency while also helping to improve efficiency and cut food waste.

Varietal innovation also has a key role to play in driving sales and increasing profitability. José Cuenca of Avasa, Spain’s biggest citrus nursery, highlighted the need to satisfy grower expectations for varieties that deliver high productivity, resilience, quality and a long shelf-life with new varieties that are more in tune with market demands. David Alba of Genesis Fresh presented Havva and Sigal, two new premium mandarin varieties originating from the Volcani Institute, the same breeding programme behind the successful Orri variety. They join Genesis Fresh’s growing line-up of eye-catching new varieties that includes Halloweena, Banzzai and the FLIA prize-winning Onix pigmented orange.

The congress also heard from Manuel Rey of Sun World, a new entrant in citrus breeding following its acquisition of Biogold last year. According to Rey, the union is set to accelerate the development of new citrus cultivars that respond to the needs of both growers and consumers.

On the subject of sustainability, an expert panel from the post-harvest arena highlighted the need to move towards greener solutions such as plant-based coatings to maximise profit potential, minimise losses and make citrus more sustainable. Citrosol’s Benito Orihuel, Clara Montesinos from AgroFresh and Enrique Gómez of Decco discussed the ways of improving consumer acceptance of coatings through better education on the savings they can deliver in terms of food waste and improved fruit quality.

Maz Abram of Fresh Formulaics and AgroSustain’s Olga Dubey also shared their journey in the plant-based coatings market – Fresh Formulaics with the launch of its trail-blazing Apeel in 2012 and AgroSustain as a more recent entrant to the market. Both said the results delivered in terms of shelf-life extension and reduction in food waste are helping to convince more customers of the merits of the technology.

Also on the Sustainability Stage, Jim Jefcoate of Food Experts and Elena Guillen of Farmable presented a new tool to help companies simplify certification and compliance, delivering significant time and cost savings to growers and packers.

The last session of the day looked at the future of the Spanish citrus industry. Antonio Medina from Carrefour’s buying arm Socomo, consultant Paco Borras, Bollo Natural Fruit CEO Antonio Alarcón and Anecoop commercial director Miguel Abril had a frank discussion on the internal divisions holding back the development of the sector, particularly the ability to access EU funding to carry out effective promotions for Spanish citrus. The panel agreed that Spain is unrivalled when it comes to quality, technical know-how, service and proximity to market, and that the sector needed to put its differences aside and focus on the common challenges they face.

The congress concluded with an address from Vicente Tejedo, Valencia’s Regional Secretary of Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries, who emphasised the essential role of research, technological development, and promotion in moving toward more efficient, competitive, and innovative citrus farming in the region.

Vicente Tejedo emphasised the regional government’s commitment to citrus growing and global competitiveness, noting: “Despite the challenges, we have the tools and knowledge to remain leaders in quality”.