This week, Peter Nicolaï (of Nicolaï Fruit, Sint-Truiden) was unanimously elected as the new chairman of Fresh Trade Belgium, a professional federation for the wholesale trade in fruit and vegetables.
Peter takes over from Frank Van Colenberghe, who was chairman for many years and who helped found Fresh Trade Belgium in 2006, after the merger of Nubelt (exporters) and Nufeg (importers / wholesalers). In 2014 the federation was expanded with the 4th range of companies.
Peter Nicolaï, founder of Nicolaï Fruit, a family business active in the export and import of fruit and vegetables, has now been elected chairman of Fresh Trade Belgium.
The new chairman sees no lack of challenges. There is of course the Corona crisis that is currently impacting daily life and therefore also the operation of our trading companies. Unfortunately, the end of the crisis is not yet in sight and it is already clear that it will linger for a long time. There is also the role of trade that is still all too often questioned, challenging traders to prove their essential function in the fruit and vegetable value chain.
Chairman Nicolaï can fall back on a dynamic board team (2020-2023) that was elected by the General Assembly on 22/09: Jeroen Buyck (Calsa / FMB) and John Van Laethem (Van Laethem) are the respective vice-chairmen for export / wholesale and import / wholesale. The board is completed with Gunther De Boelpaep (DBS), Guy De Meyer (Demargro), Guido Heerman (Guidofruit), Peter Maes (Zeghers), Jurgen De Witte (Group ADW), Dirk Biltereyst (Van Lier / Primamundo), Yannick Peeters (Greenyard) and Dominiek Noppe (Vergro). Veerle Van der Sypt will remain active as general secretary of the federation.
Because of Corona, the meeting had to go ahead digitally. The farewell for Frank Van Colenberghe as chairman will therefore be organized at a later date.
For more information:
Fresh Trade Belgium 
Willebroekkaai 37 Quai de Willebroeck
1000 Brussels / Bruxelles
+32.9.339.12.50
+32.476.95.46.82
veerle.vandersypt@fvphouse.be