In 2018, Unitec's revenue increased by 30%. This is due both to the new innovative products that reach more and more markets, and to the loyalty of customers already established and who choose Unitec again when they have to renew the technologies for the selection of fruit.
Angelo Benedetti at Fruit Logistica 2019
This is one of the concepts expressed by Angelo Benedetti, president of Unitec, during the traditional press conference at Fruit Logistica in Berlin. And if the technical innovations have already been widely discussed, it is important to highlight some aspects of the vision of fruit growing that Unitec carries forward.
Benedetti : "We are pushing more and more towards the creation of quality classes of fruit. Uniq technology is moving in this direction. These classes are not controlled by us, but are structured on the basis of consumer tastes. Those who pack and prepare to sell fruit to the final consumer can no longer avoid this topic".
The Unitec stand in Berlin
The second concept is to identify non-quality in fruit. A frequent example of this recent years is the phenomenon of stings by insect pests such as Drosophila suzukii, which cannot be distinguished from the outside of the fruit, at least in the first phase. "We must avoid any possible subsequent disputes - added Benedetti - not only for economic reasons, but rather to avoid the disaffection or disappointment for consumers when they bring home a product that does not meet their expectations. If we disappoint the consumer, the whole supply chain is at a loss, no one excluded".
Thanks to the new Uniq technology, currently used for apples, kiwis and plums, "we are going to detect the differences and make them a value. There are consumers who prefer types with high °Brix, others more acidic, but these peculiarities must be able to be distinguished and highlighted so that the consumer is able to choose".
Simultaneous translation during Unitec press conference
Benedetti: "It's a fantastic aspect because now it's possible to detect these characteristics and identify them according to the consumers' taste. Without neglecting the fact that a diversification of this kind is also useful for assessing other characteristics that would make it possible to export to more or less distant countries".
But how can all this be put into practice now that technology allows it to be done? "Important marketing actions are needed - concluded Benedetti - because the marketing structures have the advantage of offering the consumer what he or she prefers".
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