Forward thinking at Asia's information hub

What role will vertical farming play in feeding Asia’s growing demand for safe, high-quality fresh produce? How is the in-store retail experience changing for consumers in Asia with the introduction of innovative technologies? How is the US/China trade war reshaping the landscape of the fresh produce business in the region?These are some of the big questions for Asia’s fresh produce business that will be answered by a high-powered panel of speakers at next week’s ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS in Hong Kong. Taking place at AsiaWorld-Expo on Tuesday 3 September, the day before ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA (4-6 September), Asia’s premier fresh produce conference provides a big picture view of where the market is headed – across production, marketing and trade – helping delegates to ready their businesses to capitalise on the opportunities. The A2B: production Fresh fruit and vegetable production will see many disruptive innovations in the years to come as science and technology give rise to ‘a new age of agriculture’. Bram Koppert, general manager of Asia for Dutch horticultural tech specialist Priva, will open ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS with a look at the big forces driving moves towards smart, sustainable production systems. Joining Koppert for the panel discussion to the opening session ‘Farming for the future: feeding Asia’s growing demand’ are Harry Debney, chief executive of leading Australian grower-marketer Costa, Bruno Libbrecht, global produce business insights lead at Bayer, and Michelle Jones and Ron Geritz from Chinese horticultural group Orisis, which is constructing what the company describes as the first indoor vertical farm in Shanghai. The B2C: retail and consumersThe second general session ‘Retail and consumers: marketing moves’ zones in on some of the latest trends in Asia’s fast-moving retail and consumer markets. Fruitday’s head of supply chain, Huang Jing, discusses how the in-store experience is changing for shoppers in China with the introduction of innovative technologies, and she looks at where e-tailers can go next to grow further. Delivering a case study on marketing around health benefits, Toshihiko Shoji of NARO and Tomisato Miura of Hiroasaki University Graduate School of Health Sciences, discuss the development and marketing of the ‘anti-obesity’ Prime Apple!, which is commanding significant premiums in the Japanese market. Asia consumer and digital expert Jerry Clode of The Solution wraps up the session with a look at changing demographics in Asia, and provides practical advice on how fresh produce marketers can connect with their future brand consumers. The B2B: trade ANZ Bank’s chief China economist, Raymond Yeung, kicks off the final general session ‘Trade talks: adapting to a shifting landscape’ with his expert analysis of how geopolitics is changing the global trade landscape. Wayne Prowse of Fresh Intelligence Consulting and Randy Eckert of major US grower-shipper Yakima Fresh discuss the impact of US-China trade tensions on the fresh produce business. The focus then shifts to China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) project, with David Harrity, head of growth propositions for HSBC Commercial Banking in Hong Kong, explaining what the project means for doing business in the region, and Joy Wing Mau president Jason Zhang providing his perspective on the opportunities the GBA will create for fresh produce marketers. Afternoon workshop sessions at ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS go into more detail on exciting growth areas of the business. The first concurrent pair of workshops looks at the growing influence of intellectual property varieties, and at Spain’s emergence as a supplier to Asia. The second pair of workshops explores the future of Asia’s booming cherry market, and the growing influence of e-commerce and New Retail on the fresh food market in South-East Asia. As well as gaining expert insights, delegates to ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS get plenty of time to network with high-level decision makers from across the global fresh produce business during Networking Breaks, the Networking Lunch and evening Welcome Reception to ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. Check out the full programme and speaker profiles here:www.asiafruitcongress.com Delegates can take advantage of a special online rate and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA exhibitors benefit from discounted delegates rates. Visit the website for to register:  https://www.asiafruitcongress.com/registration New look ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM Information opportunities continue at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA where visitors can take part in a range of Hall Forums.  Whether the topic is grading solutions, varietal development or marketing campaigns, ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM will again provide an array of practical ideas and solutions to help companies grow their fresh produce business. Held daily on the trade show floor at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM returns with a fresh format this year, which sees workshops begin on the hour each day from 11:00. Day one of ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM (Wednesday, 4 September) will shine a spotlight on ‘people and production’. Syngenta’s Mallikarjun Mangrule will get proceedings underway with a look at how technology is powering varietal development. A presentation on Global Women Fresh, the new networking platform for women in the international fresh produce industry, is also set to draw plenty of attention on the opening day, as is a session looking at the emergence of Peru as a supplier to Asia. Speakers include Mario Ocharan, export promotion director at PromPeru, Carlos Zamorano, general manager of Peruvian grape growers’ association Provid, and Sergio del Castillo, managing director of Peruvian citrus body Procitrus. ‘Packaging and grading’ is the theme on day two (Thursday, 5 September). Stepac’s Amnon Sandman and Sinclair’s Wil Murray will examine the trend towards sustainable packaging and labelling solutions for fresh produce, while Claudio Torrisi, export manager of Decco Worldwide, outlines innovations for long haul exports. Meanwhile, Tomra Compac CEO Ken Moynihan will look at how advances in grading technology are helping packers maximise the value of every piece of fruit. The third and final day of ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM (Friday, 6 September) focuses on ‘marketing and trade’. The day kicks off with a look at how European suppliers are turning to Asia in a bid to unlock new trade opportunities. Tarun Arora, director of India’s IG International, examines how the reach of mainstream media is being harnessed to promote fresh produce, while the final session looks at the lengths some companies are willing to go to in order to create a point of difference for their offering. In addition to ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM at Hall Forum 1, visitors can also take part in Hall Forum 2, which features SMART HORTICULTURE ASIA, a forum on disruptive technology and digitisation of the supply chain, and COOL LOGISTICS ASIA, which provides a programme of workshops on cold chain management. View the full programmes for the Hall Forums, including confirmed speakers, here: https://www.asiafruitlogistica.com/en/Visitors/Events/ Click here to access the ticket shop for ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS: https://www.asiafruitlogistica.com/Visitors/Tickets/For ticketing and online ticket shop queries, please contact Irina Mueller by email: tickets@gp-events.com, telephone: +49 30 3038 2367 or visit www.asiafruitlogistica.com The brand familyASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, the leading continental trade show for Asia’s fresh produce business, takes place on 4-6 September 2019 at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. FRUIT LOGISTICA, the leading global trade fair for the fresh produce business, takes place on 5-7 February 2020 at Berlin ExpoCenter City in Germany. CHINA FRUIT LOGISTICA is now working at full speed to establish exciting new partnerships to create a new format in Shanghai for 2020.