Fruit Logistica 2004, the 12th running of the leading European trade exhibition for the fresh produce industry, continued on its perpetual expansion curve with a record number of participants.
Improvements to all the main features of the trade fair reinforced its claim to be the most important meeting place anywhere in the world for this industry, said organisers.
A phenomenal 1,112 exhibitors from 54 countries (2003: 855 from 45 countries) displayed the entire logistical range for the fruit trade. With 20 per cent more countries represented, a 21 per cent increase in overall display space, a net area that had grown by 27 per cent year-on-year and a 30 per cent rise in the number of exhibitors Fruit Logistica certainly entered a new dimension in 2004.
The vast majority of the industry’s main players were there as exhibitors or visitors, including a larger than ever turnout from the UK, illustrating the standing the event now has in the global fruit and vegetable marketplace.
Some 80 per cent of the exhibitors came from abroad. “The interest being shown this year by the industry provides impressive proof of the market-based concept of Fruit Logistica, which has been developed by the industry for the industry. Participation this year shows that its quality and sheer volume are commensurate with its position as a world leader in its field,” said Dr Christian Göke, chief operating officer of organiser Messe Berlin GmbH.
Exhibitors provided a comprehensive display of the entire logistical chain. Apart from the global players, all the main service providers from growers to those involved in packing, transport, storage and retailing were represented.
The largest international participation came from the leading European producers of fruit and vegetables, Italy (189 exhibitors), Spain (168), France (117), Netherlands (82) and Belgium (44).
The contribution from Latin America in particular was noticeably stronger than ever, with Brazil, Argentina and Mexico all occupying substantially larger stands and Chilean exporters present in large numbers. Companies and trade associations from Egypt, South Africa, China and a number of European countries also increased their level of involvement compared with the previous event. Attention was focused on the presence of countries that will shortly be joining the EU, such as Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus, a “foretaste” of the expanded EU internal market with its 450m consumers, as of May 1.
Five countries, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, Panama, Slovakia and Sri Lanka, made their debut at Fruit Logistica 2004.
Some 226 exhibitors from the German fresh produce sector not surprisingly represented the largest contribution by any country at the event and the combined stand area, measuring over 1,000 square metres and organised under the aegis of the growers’ organisation Bundesvereinigung der Erzeugerorganisation Obst und Gemüse e.V. (BVEO) and the company that markets German produce, Centrale Marketinggesellschaft der Deutschen Agrarwirtschaft (CMA), was also the largest. For the first time the 12 members of the Association of German Central Markets exhibited under one roof.
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