Fresh Studio at the Fruit Logistica in Berlin

BERLIN – Siebe van Wijk and Alex van Andel visited the Fruit Logistica in Berlin.

During the world’s largest fruit and vegetable trade fair, with over 50,000 visitors and 3,000 represented companies, Siebe and Alex interviewed over 70 fruit and vegetable trading companies for one of Fresh Studio’s clients. The aim of the survey was to identify which tropical exotic fruits and vegetables from Cambodia have the biggest market potential to be imported by large European, Asian and Middle Eastern importers.

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Fresh Studio Vietnam growing rapidly

DALAT – Besides consulting and R&D, Fresh Studio is also offering logistic services to its clients, by managing fresh produce distribution centers.

From the 1st of March Fresh Studio will manage two of the distribution centres for its client. One focuses on vegetables and one on fruits. Both centres will professionally handle over 9000 tons of fruit and vegetables in 2009.

The number of staff working for Fresh Studio in Vietnam has increased to 65 persons and by the end of 2009 will reach close to 100 staff.

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Official opening of new Fresh Studio R&D farm in Dalat

DALAT – During Fresh Studio’s own company team event, the new 1.5 hectare vegetable R&D farm was opened.

Situated centrally in an important smallholder vegetable cultivation area of Dalat, Fresh Studio launched one of the few privately owned vegetable R&D farms of Vietnam. The farm features a variety of techniques including levels of irrigation, and open field and protected cultivation methods to test the agronomic and financial performance of a wide range of vegetable varieties.

Fresh Studio’s professional team of agronomists regularly conduct tightly monitored experiments, collecting data for analysis. These experiments are undertaken for clients ranging from seed, fertilizer and plant protection companies. The R&D farm also plays an important role in METRO’s farmer extension program for which Fresh Studio is contracted.

MDF & Fresh Studio’s Value Chain Development course in Bali

BALI – 14 participants from all over the world participated in the Value Chain Development training course which was organized by MDF and Fresh Studio.

During the one week course, participants analyzed value chains on which they were working in their own countries. These VC’s ranged from Cashmere wool in Mongolia, to cucumbers in Cambodia. One day of the course was spent analyzing an existing supply chain for vegetables on Bali.

In 2009, the course will be organized again in Hanoi (1-5th of June) and in Bali (19-23rd of October). Participants can register through the MDF website: www.mdf.nl

Fresh Studio to speak at the Asiafruit Congress in Hong Kong

HONG KONG – Siebe van Wijk, one of Fresh Studio’s managing partners has been invited to speak during the Asia Fruit Congress, which will take place from the 10th till the 12th of September in Hong Kong.

Siebe will offer his insights on Vietnam’s burgeoning fresh produce business to an audience of about 600 key decision makers of the Fresh Produce Industry. The Asiafruit Congress takes place at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, alongside Asiafruit Logistica, Asia’s only fresh produce trade show.

The conference will run over three mornings on 10-12 September 2008, with the exhibition opening each afternoon. For more information visit: www.asiafruitcongress.com

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Fresh Studio invited speaker at the World Potato Congress 2009

CHRISTCHURCH – The organization of the World Potato Congress 2009 invited Siebe van Wijk to present about creating value chains in Asia.

This conference is visited by 500 key players of the potato industry each year. The 7th World Congress will be in Christchurch, New Zealand from the 23rd until 25th of March 2009. For more information about the conference visit: www.wpcnz.org.nz

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Changing mindsets key to overcoming Asia’s supply chain challenge

BANGKOK- Changing the mindset of the key people in the Asian fresh produce supply chain is the major challenge for companies seeking to apply solutions to the problems currently facing the industry. That was the standout message from the final session: ‘Case studies from the Asian fresh produce supply chain.’

As Siebe van Wyk of Fresh Studio Innovations Asia noted, many Asian producing-countries face challenges with rapid expansion of growing areas, multiple smallholders, lack of market information and price wars. The parties in the supply chain are typically focused on their own competitiveness rather than that of the overall chain. Fresh Studio is focused on shifting Asia’s produce trade from this traditional product chain scenario to a “value chain” where traders, farmers and retailers form a strategic alliance that focuses on the competitiveness of the overall chain.

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Source: AsiaFruit Magazine

Publication date: September 2007Also interesting to read:

Fresh Studio seeks to create value chains in Vietnam

HANOI – Siebe van Wijk of international consulting, R&D and trade company Fresh Studio reports on its efforts to create value chains in Vietnam by profiling two key initiatives with local producers.

Vietnam is booming. In recent years, the country has ranked as Asia’s second fastest growing economy after China. Its entry to the WTO last year has opened the door to record high foreign direct investment in many sectors. With Vietnam’s commitment to allowing 100 per cent foreign-owned investments in the retail sector by 2009, many companies are looking to tap into the large consumer market of over 85m people. But opening its markets also means more competition.

One area where Vietnam is feeling the heat from competition is in the horticulture sector. An influx of products including carrots, potatoes, onions and tomatoes from China and durian and mangosteen from Thailand are threatening Vietnamese
farmers in their own backyard. With its 20 skilled professionals and two offices in Vietnam, Fresh Studio is working to transform the country’s traditional fruit and vegetable distribution channels into more dynamic value chains. The key difference is that firms that participate in a value chain – farmers, traders and retailers – form a strategic alliance which focuses on the competitiveness of the overall chain and not just on their own short-term profit.

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Source: AsiaFruit Magazine

Publication date: July 2007

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Fresh Studio anchors commitment to Vietnam

HANOI – Irmen Mantingh of Fresh Studio Vietnam reports on Vietnam’s developing fruit and vegetable sector and the company’s activities in this burgeoning economy

The best avocados in Vietnam come from Dak Lak Province, where about 250,000 avocado trees are grown. After an extensive supply chain analysis, all actors in the avocado sector were brought together and an action plan was developed.

One of the main activities was the creation of a consumer awareness campaign to grow the domestic market demand for avocado. Another important activity was to create a higher quality avocado, and to determine an introductory label (DAKADO) which would later be harnessed as a real brand.

Vietnamese agriculture has risen to remarkable heights since the government liberalised the sector from state control following a spate of crop failures that led the country to the verge of famine in the 1980s.The incumbent’s Doi Moi reforms (open door policies) redistributed land to growers and gave rise to a farming renaissance that has seen rice production soar and producers turn their hands to a raft of “new” commodities.

From a country haunted by food shortages, Vietnam has become one of the world’s largest exporters of crops like black pepper (world’s biggest), coffee (world’s second), tea, rice, cashew and rubber. The agriculture sector contributes 20 per cent to the GDP (ADB, 2004) and total agriculture export turnover reached US$5.8bn in 2005 (up by 29 per cent on 2004). Around 60 per cent of Vietnam’s total labour force depends on agriculture.

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Source: AsiaFruit Magazine

Publication date: June 2006Also interesting to read:

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