Asiafruit Congress 2009 first day

Many of the Asian region's fresh fruit and vegetable markets have responded positively to the global economic crisis over the past 12 months as a desire among consumers to rein in their spending on eating out and other more expensive foods has prompted demand for fresh produce to remain steady or, in some cases, increase.

That was the main conclusion taken away by delegates who attended the opening morning of this year's Asiafruit Congress, which took place on 1-4 September 2009 in Hong Kong. 'During the past three months, the more developed grocery retail trades in Hong Kong and Singapore have actually benefited, probably as people have eaten out less,' said Peter Gale of the Nielsen Company, based in Thailand. 'In Asia's less developed markets, the impact has been less positive, but not to the extent seen in the 1998 Asian crisis.'

In the meantime, analysts said they felt that Asia's overriding shift towards a modern retail scene had continued, albeit at a slower rate. 'One of the effects of the crisis has been a greater awareness of the different preferences between tradtional and modern formats,' said Mr Gale. Lisa Cork, also of the Nielsen Company, added: 'There's a huge competitive battle happening in Asia on fresh fruit spend between tradtitional and more modern formats.'

Meanwhile, delegates also heard how increasing urbanisation, rising income levels and changing lifestyles in China have prompted many consumers to think more about what they buy. 'The change is so rapid in China that people are becoming more open to new ideas and products, as well as to the idea that fresh produce is expected to cost more,' commented George Singleton of Publicis Worldwide, who spoke about how consumers have reacted to the economic crisis.

Accordng to Susan Day of the California Table Grape Commission, branding will become an increasingly important tool for suppliers to differentiate their fruit in the Asian market during the years ahead. 'Foreign and local competition is growing,' she said. 'However, it's also getting harder and harder to get our message across as retail chains continue to globalise.'