No article on Fruit Logistica would be complete without a backdrop of this magnificent German city with such strong historical significance.   The venue for the expo also is rich in history and dates back to 1926 with the introduction of Green Week. Fruit Logistica opened in 1993 and had its roots in an outdoor event in the 1900’s where farmers convened on various streets to sell their products.

This is the fifth of a monthly series in which the BerryBroad is writing for Fresh Fruit Portal as Contributing Produce Correspondent. To read the rest of this article, please click here.

This is the fourth of a monthly series in which the BerryBroad is writing for Fresh Fruit Portal as Contributing Produce Correspondent. To read the rest of this article, please click here.

It has been said that the produce world is the last to embrace change, whether it is analyzing product movement through category reviews or developing and maintaining a Facebook page and Twitter account.

It was in the not-too-distant past that produce business was conducted mainly by telephone and fax, and I’m sure when the first fax was sent in 1971 few would have imagined transactions would end up being conducted in a matter of seconds through either email or smartphone transmissions.

This is the third of a monthly series in which the BerryBroad will be writing for Fresh Fruit Portal as Contributing Produce Correspondent. To read the rest of this article, please click here.

Crops grown in the Southern Hemisphere are exposed to a milder climate than in the Northern Hemisphere due to the pattern of air currents, less pollution, and the angle of the sun in terms of the length of day required for harvest. Geographic patterns play a key role in a variety of micro-climates ranging from semi-arid to Mediterranean in these countries. For example, Chile has five different growing regions which leads to a wide range of agricultural exports from grapes to poultry, fish and timber.

This is the second of a monthly series in which the BerryBroad will be writing for Fresh Fruit Portal as Contributing Produce Correspondent.  To read the rest of this article, please click here.

To put this into perspective, in just the first five months of this year Chile alone shipped 1,718,421 metric tons (MT) of fresh fruit, while even the export value of a commodity like nuts is set to rise to US$300 million in the coming years. While the spectrum of Chile’s horticultural exports is broad, a good example is that U.S. consumers benefit from around 119,000MT of Chilean table grapes annually.

This is the first of a monthly series in which the BerryBroad will be writing for Fresh Fruit Portal as Contributing Produce Correspondent.  To read the rest of this article, please click here.

According to a February 2011 Psychology Today article,  Americans consumption of the recommended “Five a Day” fell from 26.3 percent consuming three or more vegetable servings a day in 2009 to 34.4 percent consuming two or more daily fruit serving.  With obesity and health related problems at an all time high, the USDA recently attempted to simplify this dilemma by relegating the 1992 Food Pyramid to a simplified,  “My Plate”  guideline.   The key to this replacement is “suggested portions.”   More emphasis is placed on vegetables and grains while the fruit and protein sections are smaller.

Even more concerning is the rising belief that one can “drink” their fruits and vegetables.  When fiber is removed from fruits and vegetables, the liver processes it much more quickly, as sugar. This belief that drinking juice is the equivalent of eating it, is fueled by juice manufacturers themselves.  Currently Tropicana’s Facebook page is enlisting users  to “pledge to squeeze more fruits and vegetables in your daily diet” of course, in the form of juice.

Pledge to squeeze more fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

Seven out of 10 Americans don’t get enough fruit in their daily diets, and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines call for people to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables eaten daily.

For every pledge received from now until Dec. 31, 2011, Tropicana will donate one 8-oz glass of orange juice (equals two fruit servings) to the USDA School Breakfast and Summer Food Service programs, up to 350,000 fruit servings.

A recent Gallup poll released last Friday, June 10, 2011, supports the continuing decline in consumer produce consumption, citing a decrease between four days in May 2010 compared to the same timeframe, May 2011, of two percent.  The most impacted groups are Hispanics, young adults, seniors, and women.  The paradox is in Americans interpretation of  “eating healthy.” During the same timeframe, 4.5 million fewer American adults reported eating healthy “all day; yesterday.”  This was parallel to two other deleterious habits; smoking and lack of exercise.  Per the Gallup poll, the percentage of consumers who smoke increased from 20.2 percent to 20.8 percent, while the decrease  in exercise for at least 30 minutes a week fell from 53.6 percent to 52.9 percent.

At no time before has there been so much interest in top chefs and cooking shows.  Chefs rate “celebrity status” bringing scrumptious vegetable dishes and accoutrements into our home.  There is certainly no shortage of colorful easy-to-navigate recipe websites.  What is it going to take to excite American consumers to indulge in fruits and vegetables, as they do over a glass of wine?  The answer might be more psychological than food hype.

Back to the Psychology Today article, Stacey Finkelstein, University of Chicago Psychologist, ran an experiment with college students to explore how perceptions of our own control, influence how hungry we think we are.   In summary, her subjects did not associate “healthy food” with satiation.  “Free will” supersedes a high satisfaction level of eating. Another finding was that people do not associate a satisfactory eating experience with something that is “healthy.” Key words such as delicious, creamy, buttery and sweet go further in motivating consumers to eat healthy food.  Perhaps the USDA would be better off tossing the plate and indulging in alluring adjectives for fruits and vegetables.  Have you tasted a gold kiwifruit or mango lately?  It is an absolutely creamy experience!  What about spaghetti squash; sweet and crunchy.

Now back to you: How would you describe your favorite fruits and vegetables, to get people to eat healthier?

To summarize what I read, Chile might be making inroads into the U.S market for their summer navels, but it is Peru who is becoming a major player with their minneolas and W. murcott citrus.  Both of these fall into the ever growing, ”easy peel”  category.   Minneola tangerines are a major part of the Peru citrus program with volume to triple within five years.   Growing conditions have resulted in a good season for minneolas, with good bright orange exterior, size and color.   The fruit is due to arrive in the U.S by the third week of July with W. murcotts arriving the first week of August.  W. murcott is a late season mandarin and is also a volume that is expected to grow.

Retailers have realized solid profit from the growth of this category.    A 2010 market intelligence report on the status of summer citrus in the U.S market supports this trend.  The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE) projects growth at ten percent annum over the next five years.  South Africa and Chile will be the two largest importers, with Peru contributing one percent.

In my opinion, consumers will continue to add citrus to their basket of goods during summer months due to availability and perceived health benefits.  Easy peel varieties are convenient to eat and will continue to rise in popularity with children and as a snack food.  With thirty-two percent of consumers reporting that citrus is consistently part of their diet, as stated in The Packer, this bodes well for retailers to carry and promote the summer citrus category.

I represent Seald Sweet, a major East Coast shipper of citrus, in their efforts to grow the category on the West Coast.   This year’s program has promotional funding, supporting consumer driven promotions.  Retailers will be paid a specific amount per case, depending on what type of promotion they carry out.   Contact me for promotional ideas and funding on Seald Sweet citrus.

Back to you: How do you plan to promote your summer citrus program?