Fresh Fruit Sector Research Articles

Evaluation of parameters for the sustainable supply chain management: a Taiwanese fresh-fruit sector

<abstract> <p>Numerous sustainability initiatives have been discussed and widely adopted in various sectors worldwide. This research aims to identify which essential parameters affect sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practice through the case of the Taiwanese fresh-fruit sector. An industry has great importance to the households of indigenous people, significantly contributing to the sustainable development in rural areas of Taiwan. A total of twelve SSCM parameters have been verified, and then the authors conducted the TOPSIS approach process to determine the importance level of these SSCM parameters. The analysis results suggested that "Collaboration", "Distribution and Logistics service", "Customer" have supreme importance, respectively. On the contrary, at the bottom of the prioritized list is three variables consisting of "Warehouse/Storage", "Organizational social responsibilities", and "Processing and packaging". This is the unique study to consider SSCM practice through the case of the Taiwanese fresh-fruit chain; hence, these key findings could be a valuable reference for the top managers to make decisions.</p> </abstract>

Relationship between fruit density and physicochemical properties and bioactive composition of mulberry at harvest

The fresh fruit sector and its processing industry are always looking for reliable non-destructive methods to help them better understand fruit characteristics and control product quality. In this study, mulberry fruits harvested at commercial ripeness were sorted into eight groups (S1–S8) depending on their density. The physicochemical parameters, nutritional quality, bioactive compounds, and cellular structure were analyzed. Lower density mulberries were found to contain lower total soluble solids, higher 1-deoxynojirimycin, and chlorogenic acid. The highest contents of ascorbic acid, phenolics acid, and flavonoids were found in mulberries at the S6 stage, with 257.4 mg/100g DW, 524.06 mg/100g DW and 463.62 mg/100g DW, respectively. Moreover, The Order Performance based on the Similarity to Ideal Solution method (TOPSIS) analysis indicated that mulberry at the S6 stage had the highest nutritional value. Besides, a rapid decrease in fruit hardness, degradation of the middle lamella in the cell wall, and decrease in the content of bioactive compounds after the fruit density exceeded 1.025 g/cm3 indicates that they are not suitable for further storage and should be consumed or processed immediately. The findings of this study will provide a basis for precisely classifying mulberries for further fine processing.

Multi-level management of harvest for fresh fruit: the case of Corsican clementine

Despite their crucial importance for food product quality, harvest management practices remain understudied. Harvest is particularly challenging in the fresh fruit sector, due to the fruit’s perishable, variable, and seasonal nature. In this study, we seek to better understand the agronomic, organizational, and institutional drivers influencing fruit harvest management, using the Corsican clementine harvest as a case study. In that production area, the standard “Clémentine de Corse” protected geographical indication is used by local actors to define and enforce appropriate harvest practices. The data were gathered through interviews with the farmers, packing station managers, and shippers who form the first link in the production chain. We show that harvest practices are shaped by the interactions between three management levels: (i) the plot, where picking teams select the fruit to be picked from those to be left on the tree for the next pass; (ii) the farm level, at which growers synchronize the harvesting dynamics with the ripening process of a set of plots with heterogeneous degrees of maturity; and (iii) the marketing level, where shippers and packers must match up the harvesting dynamics of all their suppliers with the demands of their buyers’ market. According to this multi-level perspective, we analyzed the agronomic, organizational, and institutional drivers influencing the diversity of harvest management practices among farmers, and the influence of the protected geographical indication on the harvest process. Our study is the first to highlight how harvest practices are constructed and how various hierarchical levels of agricultural systems act together to shape them. Based on these results, we draw generic lessons and perspectives with a view to improving fresh fruit harvest management.

Fruit density: A reliable indicator of sensory quality for mango

There is constant demand from the fresh fruit sector for reliable non-destructive indicators to better predict the sensory quality of fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of density to predict mango sensory quality at the ripening stage. Models were built from density and the day of maturation to predict physicochemical indicators of sensory quality. Density of mangoes cv. ‘Kent’ from Peru, Ivory Coast, and Brazil were assessed at the green mature stage. Sensory characteristics (sweetness, sourness, mango aroma, and firmness intensity) and physicochemical parameters (dry matter content, soluble solids content, total soluble sugar content, titratable acidity, hue angle, and firmness) were assessed on ripe mangoes after storage at 18 °C. Mangoes with a higher density had a significantly higher intensity of sweetness, mango aroma, and lower intensity of firmness than mangoes with the lower density, whatever the origin. A minimum difference in density of 0.03-0.04 g mL−1 was needed to detect significant sensory differences.Physicochemical parameters associated with sensory quality were predicted by density whatever the origin of the fruit. An increase of 0.01 g mL−1 in density respectively led to an increase of 0.5% in dry matter content, total soluble sugar content, and 0.5°Brix in soluble solid content, and a decrease in hue angle of about 2° to 2.5°. A density threshold of 1.000 g mL-1 could be applied and easily used to sort heterogeneous batches of mangoes early in the supply chain according to their sensory potential.

Effects of intra- and inter-regional geographic diversification and product diversification on export performance: Evidence from the Chilean fresh fruit export sector

This study examines individually the effects of intra- and inter-regional geographic diversification on the export performance of firms from the Chilean fresh fruit sector. It also explores the direct effect of related product diversification on export performance and its role as a moderator in the relationship between geographic diversification and export performance. By employing panel trade data of 279 purely exporting firms over a six-years period (2010–2015), we found that both intra- and inter-regional diversification have an inverted U-shaped relationship with export performance, where moderate levels of diversification have positive effects on export performance, but higher levels may be counterproductive. Results also showed that related product diversification has a positive effect on firm export performance and a negative moderating effect on the relationship between inter-regional diversification and export performance. In the case of intra-regional diversification, we did not find any moderating effect from product diversification. By focusing on firms from the agricultural sector based in an emerging economy, this study offers practical implications for firm managers, trade organizations and private export associations, that may also be applicable to other export-based activities and emerging economies.

Multi period pricing for managing local fruit supply chain

Recently fresh fruit sector is grown not only due to increasing of demand that spirited by healthy lifestyle but also requirement of quality food should be eaten daily. Its complexity make many research considered fruit in certain supply chain, called as Fruit Supply Chain (FSC). In FSC, customers tend to purchase products with a longer remaining lifetime and avoid the ones which give aging signal. Customer willingness to pay decreases once the product start to be deteriorated, which may cause slower demand for aging fruits. Consequently, retailers should enable discounted price for aging fruits products to retain or improve demand rate. Main purpose of this research is explaining how to maximize supply chain profit by applying dynamic pricing. A set of mathematical model is optimized on this research. It addresses dynamic pricing for FSC players to achieve better profitability. The result proves that dynamic pricing is urgent to be done which is signaled by increment of FSC Profit. FSC players can separate selling period into three periods, which are forward buying period, normal price period, and markdown price period as implementation of this scheme.

Role of plant breeders’ rights in an evolving peach and nectarine fresh fruit sector


 
 
 The evolving impact of plant breeders’ rights was investigated in a bid to provide a basis for understanding the complex relationship that exists between scientific, legislative and market matters that shape the peach and nectarine fresh fruit sector. The results show that there is complementarity among varietal legislation, deregularisation, international trade policies, market trends and research intensity. Plant varietal legislation is found to play a facilitative role in ensuring the growth in the sector which has evolved from merely facilitating access to better quality cultivars which were bred beyond South Africa’s borders, to the provision of good quality germplasm that aids in the breeding of locally bred varieties which better meet the production needs of local farmers. The results of the analysis show that strengthened varietal legislation has contributed significantly to cultivar development, reduced varietal concentration, increased resource (land) utilisation and increased export revenue generation and market penetration. The study warns of the negative effects that widening the scope of the Plant Breeders’ Rights Act would have on innovation and cultivar access by poor farmers. Because of the strong ties existing between innovation and R&D investment, the recommendation is for an increase in R&D investment in the local research institution.
 
 
 
 
 Significance: 
 
 
 
 Insights into the impact of legislation on the industry’s growth and development are given.
 Empirical evidence related to the sector’s performance of the innovation market is presented.
 
 
 

Reversing market trends: the challenge for the UK fresh fruit sector

Notes that fresh fruit consumption in the UK is low, relative to most other EU countries, and static. Also that fruits which can be grown commercially in the UK, such as apples and strawberries, show a declining trend. Observes that in an increasingly competitive market‐place, fresh fruit does not meet the evolving wants of key consumer groups. concludes fruit marketing organizations must invest in research and development to produce strong consumer‐orientated proprietary products and, then, provide them with the promotional support that premium products warrant if they are to survive and prosper in markets which will come under increasing competitive pressure in the next decade and century.