MILAN, Sept. 10 (Class Editori) – Origin Group of Ferrara, the second player in the world – 100,000 tons of fruit production per year, and first producer of pears in Europe (70,000) tons – started a collaboration with Hua Sheng Agricultural with interest in the kiwi sector. The company is one of the most important in the Chinese province of Sichuan, southwestern China.
Feng Bai, general manager of Sichuan Hua Sheng Agricultural explained to the director of Origine group, Alessandro Zampagna, and to the sales manager Reen Nordin the production line that could become a common development ground: the Chinese company cultivates over 150 hectares of yellow and red kiwi, with its own patented varieties, for which it is represented by the Italian Fruitgrowing Equipment and Service.
Origine Group is a consortium that brings together a dozen major Italian fruit and vegetable companies – such as Afe, Apofruit, Fruit C2, Gran Frutta Zani, Kiwi Uno, Op Kiwi Sole, Pempa-Corer, Salvi-Unacoa, Spreafico – and Chilean – the Copefrut and the David Del Curto - which together invoice for over a billion euros. The consortium is interested in bringing in Italy the red kiwi also by developing new varieties in collaboration with the Research Institute of the Sichuan Academy of Natural Sciences, led by Li Minzhang.
The Chinese group is interested in innovative techniques that allow members of Origine Group to grow kiwifruit with the highest levels of quality and managerial effectiveness. The first step is done, the foundations for a technical collaboration agreement between Italy and China have been layed.
The mission in China for the top management of Origine Group was also aimed at presenting Copefrut, the new Chilean entity that entered the consortium - which recently inaugurated its own logistics and commercial platform in the Chinese province of Guangzhou, to better serve the large Chinese market.
Simone Spreafico, Vice-President of Origine Group, is optimistic and sees the international development as growth path full of opportunities: the expansion of the social base of Origine Group which has been active since 2015, also thanks to the entry of OP Minguzzi, which elaborates projects for other products as well as kiwis and pears that enter the market with four brands: Sweeki, Pera Italia, Made in Blu and Fruitaly taken over by Compagnia Italiana della Frutta.
The agreement with Chinese could includes plums, grapes, peaches and other fruits to offer international buyers an increasingly complete menu. In a few years, the Origine Group consortium led by chairman Ilenio Bastoni reached a good position in Europe, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, USA, Canada and Brazil and has succeeded in establishing itself among the main world producers of high quality fruit.
While China is deciding about pears, after the opening of the largest Asian market for kiwis and oranges, the Italian consortium is expanding its range in markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as Indonesia.
During this phase, it is crucial also the commitment by the new Italian Minister of Agriculture to consolidate and, in some cases, to start negotiations with Asian counterparts. This is a very important issue, given that there are fifty Italian companies that participated this week in the Asia Fruit Logistica fair in Hong Kong, one of the major Asian shows dedicated to the world of fruit and vegetables.
(Source:Class Editori)
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