"Research was done on the support in India in recent months and everyone is positive," says Frits. "A tray doesn't just save costs, but also waste." Frits maintains that the banana box is unsustainable for two reasons. First of all the price of paper is rising and secondly the banana box produces a stack of boxes no one knows what to do with.
Involving the entire chain
Frits is collaborating with partners in India for the research into the banana tray. He is trying to bring the entire banana sector from grower to retail together to develop a product the entire chain is behind. Al those different interests slow the process, but are important. "For instance there is a tray on the market that is 10 centimetres bigger than a banana box," explains Frits. "This means less fit on a pallet and the airflow isn't optimal." But this isn't new. With the first banana boxes only the firmness when transporting was looked at, and not ripening properties. "They had never seen a ripening cell."
Frits Popma on the photo above: "A lot of profit can be made here."
The goal is to develop a tray that is sustainable with good ripening and cooling characteristics and that can also be used on the shelf by retail. "A pooling system has to be set up for the trays. We're working on this, but the concept of a deposit is still unknown in India," says Frits. "You also have to wait and see if you get the right trays back. We opted for a more expensive tray because it lasts longer." There is a comparable tray available with a life of a year.
Multinationals on board
But Frits is not the only one working on this issue. "There are more organisations, from Holland as well, who are doing research into the banana tray. But there is hardly any collaboration and that's a missed opportunity. If we work together, we can supply a better product."
More information
Frits Popma
Popma Fruit Expertise
Hertesprong 41
4874 JA Etten-Leur
T: +31 76 50 35292
M: +31 65 11 88 669
E: fwpopma@ziggo.nl
W: www.popmafruitexpertise.nl