Moreover, there will also be a presentation of this year's Trends Report. "We have focused on changes in the distribution of fresh products, because the possibility of offering more and more fresh products throughout the year and the supply to emerging markets are changing the rules of the game," says Silvia de Juanes.
The number of Spanish participants continues to grow despite Fruit Attraction
Given the strong growth of Madrid's Fruit Attraction, there were rumours in the sector that pointed to the possibility of Fruit Logistica losing exhibitors and visitors from Spain; however, statistics show that the number of exhibitors is growing again, according to Silvia de Juanes.
"Spanish participation continues to grow every year, which reflects the important role of Spanish producers and suppliers internationally." This boom in the sector explains the growing commitment by Spanish companies to showcasing their products at international events, includes Madrid's fair," says the communication representative.
"I sincerely believe that Spanish producers, importers and exporters use both platforms separately to organise their entire year, depending on the products. One is used to set prices and talk about volumes and the other to maintain good contact with the customers. However, Fruit Logistica continues to be a more global platform in which Spanish exporters are constantly looking for third markets, given the possibility of important markets closing their borders to them at any moment."
Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador, the Latin American countries growing the most
These three countries have considerably increased their presence at Fruit Logistica 2018.
"There is a revolution in these Latin American countries, with an increasing availability of exportable fresh products, so exporters seek to diversify their markets. Given the political situation with the United States, the natural export market for Latin American companies, and the search for new markets, Fruit Logistica offers them an ideal international environment," explains Silvia de Juanes.
In this regard, the future looks promising, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. "This year, we have expanded two new halls, largely due to the growing presence of Latin American companies and logistics firms. The demand has been on the rise, and there are companies that have been left out this year because they did not arrive in time for registration. What we hope is for the number of Latin American participants to continue to increase in future editions."
An innovation fair
Fruit Logistica is proving to be also an innovation fair. "Companies in the sector rely on Fruit Logistica as a platform to showcase their innovations to the world, as can be seen in the Spotlight section, which will feature two Spanish companies this year," she says.