After last year's Fruchtwelt Bodensee trade fair was held purely digitally, the trade representatives can meet again in person from today until Sunday, 15.01. to cultivate professional exchange, but above all to discuss the current challenges and crises. To set the mood for the trade fair and the opening of the 41st Fruit Days, Erich Röhrenbach, Dr. Manfred Büchele, Andreas Brand, Jens Stechmann, Franz Josef Müller and State Secretary Sabine Kurtz spoke.
Erich Röhrenbach emphasized that although the harvest quantity and quality of the goods were satisfactory, he had never experienced one as negative as the current one in his now 40-year career. Massively increased production costs in view of the almost 25 percent higher minimum wage, production costs of 0.50-0.60 euros more per kilo depending on the varieties, etc. These burdens and other circumstances put the local fruit-growing sector at many disadvantages compared to competitor countries, Röhrenbach said.
Higher sales volume, lower sales revenue
Large harvest volumes throughout Europe, postponements due to the war in Ukraine and the embargo against Russia resulted in price and volume pressure on the German market. "Although you find higher sales volumes, you also find lower sales revenues."
Both Röhrenbach, Jens Stechmann but also other speakers plead here for closer cooperation along the value chain. "We need to move closer together and work together on solutions," Röhrenbach said. To do this, he said, it's important not to "try to steal little advantages from each other." In addition to marketing, he said, there is also a need for communication to politicians and the public, as well as a change in thinking among retailers, industry and consumers.
Exhibitors at this year's Fruchtwelt Bodensee in the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Center.
Origin labeling
Some of the speakers also questioned why local food retail traders consider it necessary to offer large imports from overseas, for example, in the middle of the German season. Accordingly, mandatory and transparent origin labeling also came up for discussion.
You can read more about these and other topics, as well as interviews and a photo report on Fruchtwelt Bodensee, starting next week on FreshPlaza.
For more information:
www.fruchtwelt-bodensee.de