Companies including Infia, Origine Group, Unifrutti Group/Oranfrizer, RK Growers, Rivoira, and KiKoKà report successful meetings with existing and potential clients from across Asia at the international trade show
Italian companies have taken full advantage of the chance to network and forge new business connections at this year’s Asia Fruit Logistica, the international fresh produce trade show which takes place this week in Hong Kong.
A number of those companies returned to the show as part of a collective stand organised by research and marketing group CSO Italy, including Infia, Origine Group, Unifrutti Group/Oranfrizer, RK Growers, Rivoira, and KiKoKà.
And aside from their individual commercial objectives, the opportunity to develop markets in Asia further makes the three-day event a key moment in the fresh produce business calendar for those companies.
“In recent days, we’ve met both existing customers – especially from Singapore, India, and Australia – as well as interesting new contacts from Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Australia,” said Matteo Baiocchi, export area manager at Infia.
“The presence of Chile and Peru at the fair is also significant for us, especially the latter, given that their export campaign for blueberries and grapes, essentially the products that most interest our packaging, is just beginning in these weeks.”
Sara Grasso, sales manager at Unifrutti Group/Oranfrizer, said the event had taken on even more importance in 2025.
“I’ve been attending the fair since its inception and have seen it grow,” she commented. “This year, it seems to be heavily focused on Asia: a lot of India, Japan, and, of course, China, but also smaller markets like Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore.
She added: “For the Unifrutti Group, the fair is important because it provides an opportunity to visit customers in neighbouring countries like Japan and China, which are crucial export markets for 100 per cent blood orange juice – not from concentrate. Here in Hong Kong, we also have the opportunity to meet other customers for kiwifruit and apples from the Mediterranean region.”
Strategic importance
The fair was also a positive experience for Reen Nordin, sales manager at Ferrara-based Origine Group. “For us, the fair went well,” she said. “Our goal here is to meet with regular customers to consolidate business relationships, aiming for increased volumes. However, my impression is that, compared to previous years, participation was lower.”
Carlo Lingua, CEO of RK Growers, also detected a slightly different mix in terms of visitors. “The perception is that the fair has slightly fewer visitors than in previous years, and overall we haven’t seen many new products, but it’s always a positive thing to be there,” he noted.
“We have high expectations for Sambóa, an apple project that, given its characteristics, we’re confident will satisfy Asian tastes. At the fair, we also presented KiKoKà, which we’re very excited about because kiwifruit is the only product for which we have an export protocol to China.
“Unfortunately, export protocols are lacking for most of our products. Among European countries, Italy is the one most affected by export restrictions. I hope [the Italian ministry of agriculture] works in this direction.”
KiKoKà CEO Fabio Zanesco was generally positive about the event’s outcome.
“With KiKoKà, we’re in a scouting phase and approaching a market with very high quality standards,” he explained,” and we need to proceed cautiously, focusing precisely on these aspects. The potential is high, also thanks to our product’s sales calendar, which is favourable for this market.”
Giovanni Rivoira, strategy & business development manager at Rivoira Group, underlined his enthusiasm for Asia Fruit Logistica.
“The Asian market remains important, and this trade show, while not comparable to Fruit Attraction and Fruit Logistica, remains a strategic event to attend,” he said.
“Having invested in product development, we have new products, such as Sambóa and KiKoKà, to offer to the Asian market, which are generating significant anticipation and interest. This is recognition of the work we’ve done globally.”
