”We shall be meeting with more than 80 of our customers at Fruit Logistica and expect to be signing new contracts”, said Liu Zijie, director of Juye Jianong Fruits and Vegetables Co Ltd.

The company has an annual export turnover of $31.5 million and is one of the leading Chinese exporters of fresh produce.

Last year Jianong exported 35,000 tonnes of garlic, 10,000t of ginger and the same amount of apples. Pomelos were included for the first time last year, and although the amounts are still quite modest (2,500t) sales have begun to show an increase in Europe.