Young leadership: New minds in the German fruit trade

Young leadership: New minds in the German fruit trade

The juniors of the German Fruit Trade Association have elected a new management committee. At their annual meeting in Hamburg at the beginning of November, Nils Doerwald, Daniel Riedlinger and Palmira Aragon were elected. Doerwald, who started his professional career withFruchthof Berlinfollows, will take on the role of chairman, while Riedlinger fromFruchthof Konstanzand Aragon fromDole Europe Hamburgwill support him. In a moving moment, Doerwald thanked him for the trust and announced that he would build on the legacy of his predecessor, Stefan Lindner, who now sits on the executive board of the German Fruit Trade Association.

The annual meeting attracted numerous representatives from a wide range of sectors of the industry, including importers, wholesalers, wholesalers and analytics specialists. The varied conference program gave the participants exciting insights, such as visits to the Hamburg wholesale market and the ripening facility of the South American Fruit Company. In addition, the exotic specialist Ingmar Heuer was visited and the importance of sustainable cultivation practices was discussedElbe gardenclarified.

Future topics in focus

One of the highlights was the presentation of survey results that the juniors carried out among their members in advance on key future topics. The focus here was on aspects such as artificial intelligence, labor and skilled labor shortages, structural change, climate change, sustainability and certifications. These topics will be a key focus of junior work in the future.

Discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in fruit and vegetable production are increasing.agriculture.dehighlights that automated systems now play a major role. These support companies primarily with harvesting, crop protection and resource conservation. Technologies such as GPS and cameras not only help combat weeds, but also enable targeted use of water supplies and fertilizers.

The new technologies promise many advantages: They reduce costs, reduce manual work and contribute to consistent product quality. But there are also hurdles: high investments and the need for stable internet in rural areas pose challenges for many companies. Whether robots that recognize and harvest ripe fruits or digital systems that optimize storage conditions - the possibilities are enormous, but efforts are also being made to implement these advanced methods.

An outlook on the industry

The plans of the juniors of the German Fruit Trade Association to deal more intensively with technological developments show a positive perspective for the entire industry. The challenges ahead require active action and the willingness to take new paths. The new leadership body could play a key role here, not only as a voice for the youth, but also as innovators who bring a breath of fresh air into the discussions about the future of the fruit and vegetable trade.