FRUIT LOGISTICA 2017: FEBRUARY, 8 - 10VLAM celebrates 25th edition with record number of Belgian exhibitors30 suppliers of Belgian potatoes, fruit, vegetables and fruit trees, are all eager to welcome you to the VLAM stands at Fruit Logistica in Berlin. In conjunction with the producers’ federations and auctions, they will showcase a wide range of top quality products. Meet them in Hall 6.2 at stands B-03, B-04, B-05, B-06 and B-07.

One of the original participants at Fruit Logistica, VLAM will be present with a record number of 30 exhibitors. At the VLAM stands, visitors will be able to meet suppliers of fresh vegetables and fruit, potatoes and fruit trees.

Fresh fruits and vegetablesThere are 17 fresh fruit and vegetable companies present in hall 6.2, booths B-03, B-05 and B-06: Bel'Export, Boussier / Belfrutex, Calsa/ Weiss, DBS / DBS Agro, De Plecker – Lauwers, Demargro, Devos Group, Dries Sebrechts Fruit (DSF), Frans Michiels Belgium (FMB), Gemex, Nicolaï Fruit, Pacbelimex, REO Veiling, Rotom, Vanco Belgium, Vergro and Wouters Fruithandel.

PotatoesEight potato suppliers are also looking forward to meeting their customers in hall 6.2, booth B-07: Bart's Potato Company, Binst Breeding & Selection, Dauchy, De Aardappelhoeve, Pomuni, Remo Fresh, RTL Patat and Warnez.

Fruit treesIn addition, there are five Belgian fruit tree growers presenting their products to an international audience, for the first year in a separate booth (hall 6.2 B-04): ABCz Group, Benelux Fruit Service, Carolus, Depa Fruit and Zouk.

VLAM will provide Conference snacksPart of the VLAM stand will be completely devoted to the Conference pear campaign, which is now in its sixth year. The best way to convince visitors of the flavour of the Conference pear is to let them taste it themselves. Therefore, VLAM is sending two promotors out to offer visitors snacks prepared with Conference pears. A walking Conference pear will certainly not escape the attention of fair visitors and will invite them to try the Conference pear.

VLAM vzwKoning Albert II-laan 35 box 50 1030 BrusselsT +32 2 552 80 11- F +32 2 552 80 01 www.freshfrombelgium.com – vlam@vlam.be

Facts & figures | BelgiumFRESH FRUIT

In the 2015/2016 season, Belgium produced 284,942 tons of apples and 369,135 tons of pears, a drop of 11% and 1% respectively compared to 2014/2015. The drop in apple production was mainly due to the decision not to harvest 26,600 tons of apples to offset the effects of the Russian boycott. Since 2012, the Belgian pear production has been larger than the apple production. In 2016 the strawberry production came to 45,000 tons, a drop of 6% compared to 2015.

Apple exports enjoyed an increase of 30% in 2015 compared to 2014. This increase can be attributed both to increased exports to neighbouring countries and to other countries within the EU. The export volume decreased slightly in the period January to September 2016 (-7%) compared to the same period in 2015. Neighbouring countries continue to be the main export destinations for apples, with the uptake increasing in France, Germany and the UK and declining somewhat in the Netherlands. In the period January to September 2016 France took 27%, the Netherlands 21% and Germany 20%, followed by the UK (6%), India (6%) and Spain (4%). Since the Russian boycott, India has been the largest consumer of Belgian apples outside the EU.

FRANCENETHERLANDS

GERMANY UNITED KINGDOM

INDIASPAIN

CZECH REPUBLIC LUXEMBOURG

IRELANDSLOVAKIA

LATVIASWEDENESTONIA

LITHUANIA

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Export destinations' uptake of Belgian apples (in % of the total export volume)

Jan-Sept 2016

Jan-Sept 2015

2015 was a reasonably good year for pears. The production was stable and exports showed only a limited decline of -7%, which means that the loss of the Russian market was, to a large extent, offset. Meanwhile Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic have become big consumers of Belgian pears. Pear exports in the period January to September 2016 are once again on an upward curve, with a growth of +15%. Our neighbour the Netherlands is the biggest customer with an uptake of 14% of our export volume, followed by Spain (14%), the United Kingdom (12%) and France (12%). East European countries like Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are still amongst the top 10 destinations for our pear exports.

NETHERLANDSSPAIN

UNITED KINGDOMFRANCE

CZECH REPUBLICLATVIA

LITHUANIAPOLAND

GERMANY SWEDENESTONIA

NORWAYBELARUS

0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20%

Export destinations' uptake of Belgian pears (in % of the total export volume)

Jan-Sept 2016

Jan-Sept 2015

Strawberry exports rose by 25% in 2015 in comparison with 2014. The United Kingdom was our biggest market (24%), followed by France (21%), the Netherlands (19%) and Sweden (12%). Exports in the period January to September 2016 show a drop of -22% in comparison to the same period in 2015, with the Netherlands as the number one customer (24%).

FRESH VEGETABLES

In 2015 Belgian growers produced a total of 772,992 tons of vegetables for the fresh food market, a decline of 2% compared to 2014. Tomatoes (253,200 tons) were the absolute number one. Leeks (154,000 tons), carrots (63,000 tons), lettuce (57,305 tons), chicory/Belgian endives (39,900 tons), white cabbage (28,000 tons), peppers (25,480 tons) and cucumbers (16,850 tons) are the other mainstays of Belgian vegetable production.

Belgian exports of fresh vegetables grew 2% in 2015. The neighbouring countries are by far the most important destinations for our fresh vegetables, with the French market in first place in 2015, buying 37% of our export volume, followed by the Netherlands (22%) and Germany (20%).

Exports in the period January to September 2016 remained stable compared to the period January to September 2015. Neighbouring countries France (36%), the Netherlands (23%) and Germany (20%) continue to lead with the larger volumes.

FRANCENETHERLANDS

GERMANY UNITED KINGDOM

CZECH REPUBLIC SPAIN

LUXEMBOURGPOLAND

ITALYGREECE

HUNGARYCOTE D'IVOIRE

LITHUANIALATVIA

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Export destinations' uptake of Belgian fresh vegetables (% of the total export volume)

Jan-Sept 2016Jan-Sept 2015

POTATOES & POTATO PREPARATIONS

In 2015 Belgium produced nearly 3.275 million tons of potatoes. The Netherlands is by far the largest customer for fresh Belgian potatoes, taking a 64%

share in the period January to September 2016. France (20 %) and Germany (4%) follow far behind.

Belgian potato preparations are likewise much in demand on foreign markets. Since 2014 the export volume has surpassed the 2 million ton mark. In 2015 Belgian companies achieved an increase of +10% compared to 2014 and in the period January to September 2016 there was a further rise of 3% in comparison with the same period in 2015.Neighbouring EU countries were the main customers, with France (20%), the Netherlands (16%) and the United Kingdom (14%) in the lead. Outside the EU, too, Belgian potato preparations are increasingly popular. In 2015 third countries took a 23% share of the total export volume. In the period January to September 2016 third countries accounted for about 24%.

FRANCENETHERLANDS

UNITED KINGDOMSPAIN

GERMANY ITALY

SAUDI ARABIABRAZIL

PORTUGALIRELAND

CHILEGREECEJORDANPOLAND

JAPANCOLOMBIA

PHILIPPINES

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Export destinations' uptake of Belgian potato preparations(% of the total export volume)

Jan-Sept 2016Jan-Sept 2015

FRUIT TREES

The production value of fruit trees was 21 million euros in 2015. That means fruit trees represent 6.4% of all Belgian nursery tree production. The biggest customer for our fruit trees is France, which took 55% of our export volume in

2015. Germany took 9%, and the United Kingdom was right behind it with 8%, followed by the Netherlands (6%), Poland (5%) and Italy (4%). In the period January to September 2016 the leaders were once again France (50%), followed by Poland (10%) and Italy (10%).

Belgian fruit trees are appreciated in other countries, too, with a growth in exports to third countries as a result. In 2015 China was way ahead, taking 87% of our export volume to third countries.

FRANCEPOLAND

ITALYNETHERLANDS

UNITED KINGDOMGERMANY

SWEDENLUXEMBOURG

CROATIAFINLAND

RUSSIAN FEDERATION (RUSSIA)SPAIN

DENMARK

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Export destinations' uptake of Belgian fruit trees(% of the total export volume)

Jan-Sept 2016Jan-Sept 2015

Responsibly FreshAssociation of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives – 13.01.2017The Belgian fruit and vegetable marketing auctions and their producers are committed to sustainable development. In 2012, VBT teamed up with the auctions and their producers to develop a collective sustainability project and the Responsibly Fresh label. The collective aspect here is unique. Because the whole sector is working together on sustainable development, a substantial impact can be achieved. The various participants have each made a specific commitment. A report on the developments within Responsibly Fresh is produced every two years. The second sustainability report, which covers the period 2014-2015, shows that the participants have succeeded in their task and are constantly working to develop sustainably.

1. Responsibly Fresh, a collective sustainability labelResponsibly Fresh is an initiative of the Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives (VBT), the sectoral organisation for the Belgian fruit and vegetable auctions. As a sustainability project, Responsibly Fresh aims to help the cooperatively organised fresh fruit and vegetable sector develop sustainably. As a label, Responsibly Fresh also acts as a recognisable symbol for everyone interested in fruit and vegetables. There are currently five VBT member auctions and their producers involved in Responsibly Fresh: Belgische

Fruitveiling, BelOrta, Coöperatie Hoogstraten, Limburgse Tuinbouwveiling and REO Veiling. Together these auctions represent more than 3,500 active producers.Participation in the project and the use of the Responsibly Fresh label are subject to strict conditions. The participating producers and auctions must make demonstrable efforts on various sustainability aspects and criteria. The conditions refer to three elements. First, the individual producers must hold valid certification from a quality-monitoring body, either Vegaplan or GLOBALG.A.P. VBT is committed, through representation in the quality-monitoring bodies, to extending the existing standards with relevant sustainability criteria. Secondly, producers associated with the marketing cooperatives must demonstrate progress on a series of sustainability criteria. The collective dossier is drawn up every two years based on a survey containing 49 sustainability criteria. Lastly, the individual auctions must be certified by a third party that offers a sustainable business charter, such as a provincial government and/or VOKA (Flanders’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry). These charters offer a broad framework with different themes related to the UN’s sustainable development goals. The auctions have to work out concrete actions to take regarding a number of the prescribed themes. Certification for the charter is not issued until after an external evaluation and audit.2. Sustainability report Responsibly Fresh

Every two years Responsibly Fresh publishes a sustainability report exploring the sustainability challenges facing the cooperatively organised fresh fruit and vegetable sector. It describes the strategy deployed by Responsibly Fresh in tackling those challenges collectively as a sector. The reports are drawn up in accordance with the guidelines in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an internationally recognised standard for transparent sustainability reporting.The second sustainability report, which covers the period 2014-2015, shows that the participants have succeeded in their task and are making ongoing efforts to develop sustainably. VBT supported the incorporation of sustainability criteria in existing quality systems. The auctions have earned certification by a sustainable business charter for several cycles in succession. Likewise, the producers continue to qualify for participation in Responsibly Fresh, the basic condition being certification by GLOBALG.A.P. or Vegaplan. In addition, the auctions track their producers’ progress with regard to various sustainability criteria by once again drawing up a collective dossier, taking as the benchmark the original tenets of Responsibly Fresh and the first collective dossier published in 2014. The collective dossier includes 49 sustainability criteria and was drafted with the input of 2,652 producers. There are clear signs of progress on virtually all the sustainability criteria in the collective dossier, thanks in part to the support of the growers via their auction. The measures taken and planned in the collective dossier relate to various sustainability topics, and range from energy and water-saving growing techniques to integrated cultivation, specific provisions for workers, professional training and the producers’ own participation in the sociocultural life in the local area. The status in the collective dossier and the action points devised within the charters, supplemented with relevant business information from the participants, forms the content of the sustainability report. 3. Responsibly Fresh: involvement in external initiativesThe content of the collective sustainability project Responsibly Fresh has evolved over the years. The project has expanded, with the start of a section devoted to activities involving the South (less developed countries). Responsibly Fresh participants aim to support farmers’ organisations in the South, based on the firm belief that cooperative organisations can represent added value for them. Sustainability and a cooperative approach are clearly linked, something which Responsibly Fresh participants have known for years. Furthermore, Responsibly Fresh is involved in numerous external initiatives by stakeholders to make the agri-food chain more sustainable. Important themes on which VBT worked with the stakeholders of Responsibly Fresh during 2016 are food losses and waste, sustainable procurement and sustainability in cooperative organisations. Participants will ensure that their sector continues to develop sustainably in the years to come. To keep the Responsibly Fresh sustainability project relevant and credible, and to keep driving it forward, communication with internal and external stakeholders is very important. The aim is to achieve further collaboration with stakeholders and involvement in external sustainability initiatives, such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainable development is also promoted by:

Contact person: Philippe Appeltans – VBT general secretary – T +32 (0)16 20 00 80More information: Responsibly Fresh – www.responsibly-fresh.com and VBT – www.vbt.eu

News | BelgiumBELGAPOMBelgapom is the federation of the Belgian potato trade and processing industry and represents the sector at various regional, federal and European levels.

Belgapom has also taken a variety of initiatives for the benefit of the sector, including: A self-audit guide for the potato, vegetable and fruit trade (Gids Autocontrole AGF Handel en

Verwerking) and a sectoral sampling plan for the processing industry, both approved by the Belgian food agency (FAVV/AFSCA).

Vegaplan (co-founded), a quality assurance system guaranteeing food and plant safety in the vegetable products sector, integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainability (equivalent to VVA/VVAK in the Netherlands and QS in Germany), which is also approved by the federal and regional governments.

WatchITgrow: monitoring of all Belgian potato fields via satellite photography in order to assess crops precisely and optimise returns (in cooperation with Belspo, VITO, CRA-W and UGL).

Reskia: a project aimed at finding low-residue anti-sprouting solutions for potatoes (in cooperation with Flanders’ Food).

Bintje Plus: a phytophthora-resistant cisgenic Bintje, with a view to a spectacular reduction in the use of crop protection agents (in cooperation with VIB, UGent and ILVO)

James Bint, with a license to fry: James Bint is the ambassador for real ‘Belgian fries’ and will be the logo for a promotion campaign in South-East Asia.

Belgapom is also a member of Europatat and EUPPA. Contact: Belgapom e.b./u.p.r. Offices: Sint-Annaplein 3 – BE-9290 Berlare T +32 9 339 12 52 Belgapom@fvphouse.be www.belgapom.be / www.jamesbint.be

GEMEX HAS MOVEDThe family-run business Gemex has specialised in the export of fruit and vegetables since 1989, mainly to Germany. In the past year Gemex has completed its move to its new building in Genk. In 2016 the new location was awarded IFS Cash and Carry certification and the first QS audit will be carried out in spring 2017. In the meantime our transport company ACF has 9 trucks and will try to obtain IFS Logistics certification. This will allow us to meet our customers’ requirements and provide them with better service.

Gemex c.v.Rummenweg 176, B-3540 Herk-de-StadT +32 13 55 33 26, F +32 13 55 23 36www.gemex.be, gemex@gemex.be

DISCOVER BELORTA’S LATEST INNOVATIONS Fruit and vegetables mean BelOrta. The more than 1,300 producers that belong to our cooperative supply a huge assortment of fruit and vegetables, ranging from the greatest classics to the most innovative varieties and sorts. It is an annual tradition to present our most recent and most inspiring products at FRUIT LOGISTICA on our Wall of Innovations. This year we are delighted to exhibit an impressive series of innovations, including Lily, Chicoleaves and Monterosa.

Lily is a new red plum-shaped mini vine tomato, currently the most elegant on the market. This dainty little tomato has an exceptionally elegant shape and an intense, sweet flavour. What’s more, Lily is virtually seedless, which makes this beautiful tomato perfect for use in salads, aperitif nibbles and other snacks. The eye-catching punnet (200 gr) and associated label instantly create Lily’s world: feminine, elegant and contemporary.

Chicoleaves are loose leaves of mini chicory/Belgian endive which offer consumers a ready-to-eat solution as they require no preparation. These crisp chicory/Belgian endive leaves retain their freshness if refrigerated. Tip: the leaves make ideal aperitif spoons - fill them with a tasty dip.

Monterosa is really attractive. This new beefsteak tomato is an intense rosy red, has a tender skin and spicy flavour. Asymmetrically ribbed, with very pronounced sepals on the top, Monterosa is striking. Enjoy its delicious Mediterranean flavour hot or cold. This excellent tomato is already popular in Spain and is now being grown by BelOrta producers in Belgium.

Interested? We would love to meet you in Hall 6.2 A-04!Sofie LambrechtDivision Manager Marketingmarketing@belorta.be

THE BELGISCHE FRUITVEILING With a market share of 70% the Belgische Fruitveiling (BFV) is the biggest Belgian fruit auction. Approximately 80% of the products, which are grown all over the country, are exported. Moreover, BFV is the world’s biggest supplier of Conference pears. Besides maintaining good contacts with its customers, BFV also aims to open up new horizons and introduce visitors to the BFV club varieties:

The Joly Red: a sweet, round dark red apple that broadens the assortment and adds to the export possibilities.

The Sweet Sensation red pear. The Jonaplus: with which BFV wants to reposition the Jonagold and offer its customers a

uniform product, all year round, in terms of quality, colour and flavour. And the culinary hit, the Redlove apple. This distinctive red-fleshed apple is eminently

suitable for use in the kitchen, the catering industry and the juice industry.

Hall 6.2 no. A-01Filip Lowette, director ▪ T +32 475 27 92 59 ▪ filip.lowette@bfv.be

Marc Evrard, Commercial director ▪ T +32 477 23 17 46 ▪ marc.evrard@bfv.be www.bfv.be

REO VEILING With its 1,200 producers and 65 different types of fresh fruit and vegetables, REO offers a wide range of opportunities.

During the winter we export our Flandria leeks to the whole of Europe and beyond, from Canada to Japan. But we also supply other soil-grown products, such as celeriac, cabbages, etc.

New in recent years has been the considerable increase in tomatoes from illuminated cultivation. Our well-known Tomabel quality label now offers vine-ripened tomatoes, individual tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, cocktail tomatoes on the vine and cherry tomatoes on the vine.

Come along and discover the many products bearing the Flandria, Tomabel and Fine Fleur labels.

Veiling REOOostnieuwkerksesteenweg 101, B - 8800 RoeselareT +32 51 231 211 - F +32 51 231 289 www.reo.be - info@reo.be

NICOLAI FRUIT & VEGETABLES: EXPANSION AND NEW CEO In addition to the wide range of fruit it offers, Nicolai Fruit now also has a well-developed range of vegetables. Products include Belgian endives/chicory, Brussels sprouts and white asparagus, as well as a wide variety of different tomatoes and lettuces.

This family-run company’s Nicobel brand is renowned worldwide for its emphasis on high quality produce combined with excellent service. As a result it keeps growing year by year. Long-time commercial director Johan De Gendt has recently been appointed as its new CEO, guaranteeing a continued dynamic approach towards future expansion!

Nicolai FruitSchurhovenveld 3124, B - 3800 Sint-Truiden T +32 11 69 55 55 johan.degendt@nicolaifruit.be - www.nicolaifruit.be

WARNEZWarnez introduces trendy new small potato packaging to the Belgian market.

As a leader in the segment of small potato packaging Warnez NV recently introduced new packaging.

Peter Van Steenkiste: “There has been a trend towards smaller packaging for quite a while. Our aim has always been to help our customers, so in order to differentiate this particular segment of

the potato business and show it at its best, we have opted for a standing bag this time. It’s a format that’s becoming increasingly popular within the potato, vegetable and fruit trade. Nonetheless it’s an innovation in the Belgian potato market.

WarnezMarialoopsesteenweg 2L, B-8700 TieltT +32 51 40 08 12, F +32 51 40 54 12Peter@warnez-nv.be, www.warnezpotatoes.be

BELGIAN FRUIT TREE GROWERS CELEBRATE 5TH

YEAR AT FRUIT LOGISTICA In 2017, Belgian fruit tree growers participate for the 5th year at Fruit Logistica. A record number of five growers present their products in Berlin: ABCz Group, Benelux Fruit Service, Carolus, Depa Fruit and Zouk. It is clear that this sector believes in the opportunities of Fruit Logistica for their business. So it is no surprise that they have a separate VLAM booth for the first time. Meet them in hall 6.2, booth B-04.

Belgium supplies top quality. All over the world.Belgian fruit tree growers are renowned worldwide for supplying top quality. With their great commitment and constant innovation, these family companies cultivate trees to meet the highest of requirements.

Knowledge passed from generation to generation means they know perfectly how to work the Haspengouw soil for excellent rooting, which cutting technique yields the strongest lateral branches, and which combinations produce the tastiest of fruit. The result: trees that can flourish in any climate with delicious results.

Apples, pears and cherries. In a hundred varieties.Over the years the fruit tree growers have become specialists in the cultivation of annual and biannual apple, pear and cherry trees. They have proved to be masters of the art: each year a new variety originates that is even tastier and more fertile than the last one. Fruit trees from Belgian soil suffice with regard to all European requirements and have been rightly crowned with the Flemish Government's certification label.

Research and knowledge, to grow even further.Besides the fruit tree growers, the Research Station for Fruit in Limburg (www.pcfruit.be) also monitors the quality of the trees. This research and knowledge station supports fruit tree growers with innovative cultivation assistance, professional pilot projects and the supply of virus-free material.Pcfruit researches all applications for crop protection, combating diseases in fruit growing, environmentally friendly cultivation techniques based on cutting, feeding, fruit thinning, etc. The station also works on the chemical and biological combating of harmful animal species to be able to offer a solution to all challenges in the fruit cultivation sector.

Our assets, at your service.The knowledge at the research station, combined with the individualised work and the many years of experience of the fruit tree growers, results in strong, virus-free trees that require less attention from growers worldwide. Thanks to this care you can enjoy a higher return on investment: you not only start with healthy trees cultivated in line with your requirements, you also have the certainty that the fruit from your fruit trees will satisfy all requirements.

Like to know more? We are ready to answer any of your questions. www.flandersplants.be.Or visit us at Fruit Logistica: Hall 6.2, booth B04.