Berlin, GERMANY — Now the largest and most international fair in the world for the international trade in fresh fruit and vegetables, next month's record-breaking FRUIT LOGISTICA exhibition in Berlin will see some 1,350 exhibiting companies from 65 countries entertaining over 25,000 visitors in 8 halls with 48,000 square metres of exhibition space. A series of seminars and other major conference events on topical issues affecting today's international fresh produce business will also be an important feature of this year's show which takes place from 10 - 12 February at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

Leading off the programme of seminars on Wednesday 9 February is the 24th annual Fresh Produce Forum. The forum will present an exclusive new report on the fresh produce market in Germany, commissioned and published jointly by Fruchthandel Magazin and BBE Unternehmensberatung in Cologne. How large is the market for fresh produce in Germany, and what are the prospects for growth and development? What are the current patterns of distribution and how are they expected to change in the future? What unexplored potential is there in the German market as a whole? Ulrich Eggert and Dr. Susanne Eichholz-Klein of marketing and management consultants BBE Unternehmensberatung, will present their new study of the German fresh produce market, and discuss it with a panel of experts including Dieter Brandes, former managing director and management board member of the major discount chain Aldi Nord, Paco Borras of Anecoop Valencia, Cees de Wit from The Greenery International, and Peter Simmel of Simmel AG, Chemnitz. Simultaneous translation will be available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

During the next three days of the exhibition, the programme of hall forum seminars and other events will include sessions on quality marketing, brand policy and food safety in Belgium and Italy, as well as seminars on the problems of raising consumption levels, and the health and nutritional aspects of fresh produce marketing. Saturday's hall forum looks at solutions for product tracing and ECR.

Other events offered by independent organisers include the Al-Invest Latin American/European Business Meeting, the Cool Chain Association's analysis of new benchmark standards for logistics providers, and Ghorfa's seminar on the perspectives and potential for agricultural exports from Arab countries. Award ceremonies include Fruchthandel Magazine's annual "Grüner Merkur" awards for achievements in the international fresh produce industry, as well as the German Fruit Prize for the best fresh produce departments in supermarkets, and the Supermarket Flower Prize for the best flower sections.

FRUIT LOGISTICA 2005 is open daily from 09.00 to 18.00. Registration for the Fresh Produce Forum (9 February 2005, 14.00, ICC Berlin) costs 85 Euro and includes unlimited admission to the exhibition and all other seminar events. A single day ticket for the exhibition costs 20 Euro and includes admission to seminars and the exhibition catalogue. A season ticket for the exhibition costs 48 Euro.