China Fruit Logistica Conference Highlights

We don’t only attend industry trade expos to gawk at cool new products and run up our expense accounts, right? We’re also there to learn about the newest trends, get ideas and exchange knowledge with our peers. This is why every expo includes at some sort of conference or forum.

The inaugural China Fruit Logistica is no exception. As the organizers count down to the opening day on May 14, Produce Report brings you some of the highlights of the expo’s three-track conference program.

The conference and knowledge-sharing portion of China Fruit Logistica is open to all China Fruit Logistica visitors, and takes place in the same hall as the exhibition, which is open from 10am to 4pm daily. All sessions offer simultaneous Chinese-English translation.

The program for China Fruit Logistica is being held in what organizers call a “three-track” approach consisting of the Fresh Produce Forum China, the Expert Stage, and the Media Studio.

The main track will be the Fresh Produce Forum China, with keynote presentations and panel discussions.

Fresh Produce Forum China day one (May 14) Highlights

• A session on, “building domestic quality fruit standards and brands”

  • Xie Lingyun, general manager of Youguolian, an industry alliance and brand management company.
  • Jae Chun, vice-president and general manager of leading Driscoll’s China, which has been working to develop berry production in China’s southwest.
• Spotlight on Shaanxi province, with case studies from Wang Linsong of Haisheng and Qi Feng of Qifeng.

Fresh Produce Forum China day two (May 15) Highlights:

• A headline session on the changing shape of the China market
  • Zhang Yi of Beijing-based B2B wholesale company Floruit
  • You Zhijiang, chairman of Jiaxing Fruit Wholesale Market.
• Raz Dor of Mobius and Jason Xu of Shanghai Supafresh will discuss the future for the fast-developing avocado category in China.
• Spotlight on Yunnan province with Oliver Davies of S&A Produce.

Fresh Produce Forum China day three (May 16): Consumer and retail trends are the focus.

• Joanna Zheng of Alibaba’s e-tail platform TMall Fresh
• Guo Chenglin, chairman of brand marketing company Share Ideas, and Zespri International’s head of global marketing Ng Kok Hwee, on marketing to young women and mothers.
• Zha Nan of 36Kr Research Institute, Clark Meng of JD 7Fresh and Loren Zhao of Freshbridge on what New Retail means for China’s fresh produce business.
• Spotlight on Hainan province, China’s island tropical fruit hub, with Cobby Lin of Yumsun, Zhao Jun of Hainan Tiandiren and Peng Shidun of Sanya Mango Association.

The second track is the Expert Stage, where “visitors can meet industry experts from around the world, and get practical insights on the best products, systems and solutions for their business, spanning the supply chain”.

Packaging and marketing is the theme for Day One at the Expert Stage

• Jean-Christophe Couzin of international grading company Maf-Roda on planning a packhouse fit-out.
•  Greg Saint James of Tomra on advances in sorting technologies to achieve consistent internal and external quality.
• Wuling of TMall Fresh on how to market products online
• Gilad Sadan of consulting company Navi Co on the roles packaging can play as a marketing tool.

Expert Stage day two is focused on production:

• Gao Junfang of agribusiness giant Haisheng will profile some of the new fruit varieties coming into the Chinese industry.
• Ofer Ben Mazia of Croptimal on digital disruptions in production systems.
• Clare Hamilton-Bate of Australian company Freshcare on collaborative knowledge sharing in the food safety space.
• Rijk Zwaan’s Jan Doldersum and Claas van Os of Levarht will present a case study on covered cropping based on a Dutch-Chinese partnership to supply high-quality product to Chinese retail chains.

Expert Stage day three is focused on logistics and cold chain

• Vandevelde of Australian start-up TBSx3 on the role blockchain in fresh produce supply chains.
• Makoto Oe of major Japanese fruit distributor Farmind on breakthrough innovation in cold chain distribution.
• Cory Guo of Jiuye on how the development of China’s cold chain is providing new opportunities for cross border fruit and vegetable trade
•  Zhang Yi of Floruit on systems for optimizing supply chain efficiencies for wholesalers and distributors.

The Third track, the Media Studio, “features quick-fire live interviews with key industry figures covering the latest trends and innovations.”

“Our three-track programme is packed with information to suit everybody’s needs, from strategic insights to hands-on solutions,” says Asiafruit China editor Yuxin Yang.