As the international fresh fruit and vegetable trade gathers for this year’s Fruit Logistica, which takes place on 4-6 February in Berlin, the continued expansion of the world’s leading fresh produce trade fair suggests there is still plenty of confidence and positivity within the sector.

The event opened on Tuesday evening with an opening ceremony at the city's International Congress Cente, followed by a gala reception hosted by the Chilean fresh produce trade.

In terms of floorspace, this year’s event will be almost 10 per cent bigger than last year’s at around 88,000m2 and is set to attract an even greater number of exhibitors – 2,150 are registered to do so, against 2,110 in 2008 – thanks to growing interest from a broad range of countries across the globe and from all areas of the trade.

For the first time in the event’s history, the largest country at Fruit Logistica in terms of the number of its exhibitors will not be Germany, but Italy, marking a major watershed in the event’s ongoing development and globalisation.

Groups from Croatia, Lebanon and Uzbekistan will be exhibiting for the first time, while Indonesia will be represented for the first time since 2002. Panamanian and Albanian companies will have stands for the first time since 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Also of note this year is the decision by many of the industry’s multinational companies to exhibit close to each other in two halls, instead of in different locations away from each other.

At this year’s meeting, Univeg, Fyffes, Total Produce, Kölla, Bonita, Ceroz and Edeka will all be in Hall 5.2, while Del Monte, Cobana Fruchtring and Dole will rub shoulders in Hall 6.2. Chiquita’s stand will be situated in Hall 25, alongside the Latin American companies.

Following on from last year’s ‘world tour’ layout, the event's organisers have configured the hall format to offer a more compact circuit, based largely according to country, across 22 halls, with the lower levels of Halls 1, 2, 3 and 4 also set to be used. Machinery will be concentrated in two halls, 1.1 and 3.1.

Freshconex, the international trade fair for fresh-cut convenience, returns for its second year alongside Fruit Logistica in Hall 2.1, presenting a range of fresh-cut convenience products, processing technologies and special packaging, as well as a wide variety of inspiring new concepts for caterers, chefs and restaurateurs.

Freshconex was preceded once again by the Freshconex Congress, organised by Eurofruit Magazine in associations with the United Fresh Produce Association, on 3 February.

Partner country
Chile, a major supplier of fresh fruit from the Southern Hemisphere to a number of European markets, is the official partner country for Fruit Logistica 2009, with its biggest showing yet at the event.

This year, the Chilean pavilion comprises an exhibition area of 240m2, representing more than 100 Chilean growers and exporters.

Parallel to the exhibition itself, Fruit Logistica is hosting a series of conference sessions providing information and comment about current industry trends. On Tuesday, 3 February, the 28th Fresh Produce Forum focused on the future structure of the trade, from production to point of sale.

This is due to be followed by a total of six Hall Forums organised by Fruchthandel Magazine during the three days of the fair, at which topics of discussion will include the battle of the retail formats, Chile’s position as a trading partner, Poland’s potential to be the next big player in Europe, carbon emissions and energy costs, European consumer behaviour and innovation in the fresh produce business.

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