Fresh Fruit Supply Research Articles

Stochastic Modelling Frameworks for Dragon Fruit Supply Chains in Vietnam under Uncertain Factors

Managing uncertainties and risks is always a difficult but fascinating task in fresh fruit supply chains, especially when dealing with the strategy for the production and conveyance of fresh fruit in Vietnam. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the confluence of economic recession and persistent adverse weather conditions has exacerbated challenges faced by dragon fruit cultivators. This research investigates a two-stage stochastic programming (TSSP) approach which is developed and served as a valuable tool for analyzing uncertainties, optimizing operations, and managing risks in the fresh fruit industry, ultimately contributing to the sustainability and resilience of supply chains in the agricultural sector. A prototype is provided to illustrate the complex and dynamic nature of dragon fruit cultivation and consumption in Vietnam. Data on the selling prices of dragon fruit were collected from several sources between 2013 and 2022 in Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. The results were obtained from the model by using three different approaches in order of their versatility and efficacy: (1) Scenario tree generation; (2) Sample average approximation; (3) Chance-constrained programming.

Efficiency and Sustainability in X Fresh Fruit Supply Chain: Challenges and Solutions

With the introduction of the new retail concept, China's fresh fruit supply chain industry has seen rapid growth. However, the industry faces a series of challenges during this booming phase. With the vigorous development of the community fresh fruit industry, the traditional fresh fruit supplier X Fresh Fruit is also seeking transformation opportunities. By analyzing the X Fresh Fruit supply chain company case, this paper reveals the problems of opaque supply chain structure, inefficient supply chain management and production, and high supply chain costs. Measures are needed to address these issues, including optimizing the supply chain structure, improving production and management methods, and controlling procurement, transportation, and storage costs. These measures are expected to improve supply chain efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure the quality and freshness of fresh fruits, thus creating greater value and competitiveness for enterprises. The research in this paper helps X fresh fruit companies solve their current problems and provides useful suggestions for the sustainable development of the fresh fruit supply chain industry.

The Beneficial Effects of Anthocyanins from Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Fruits and Their Possible Uses: A Review

Anthocyanins are pigments ubiquitous in plants that are responsible for the red to almost black color, mainly of flowers and fruits. Dark-colored fruits contain the highest amounts of anthocyanins. A potential source of anthocyanins can be cornelian cherry fruit (Cornus mas L.) from a long-lived tree growing in temperate climate zones. The aim of this review is to summarize the latest research on cornelian cherry anthocyanins and the possibility of their use in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, without taking into account their use in medicine. The content of anthocyanins in cornelian cherry fruits is high and comparable to fruits considered to be the richest sources of these compounds, so they may be a good source of these natural colorants used in industry. The content of anthocyanins varies due to genetic traits, growing conditions, the ripeness of fruits, and finally, how the fruits are stored and processed. Anthocyanins can be found in various cornelian products, such as juices, jams, powders, and others, so they may be available outside the period of supply of fresh fruit on the market. The lack of experience on the influence of the method of cultivation of cornelian cherries on the anthocyanin content of fruits determines new directions for research.

Sentiment Mining of Consumer Reviews: Evidence from Guangxi Fresh Fruit Supply on China's JD.com E-commerce Platform

This study identifies the product supply chain management issues based on significant data analysis methods by considering user evaluation data from JD.com e-commerce platform, a central e-commerce platform in China. Fresh fruit contributes to substantial sales in e-commerce platforms due to the particular characteristics of freshness. The quality perception of fresh fruits directly affects consumers' trust and willingness to repurchase. Therefore, studying the perceived value of online shopping for fresh fruit consumers in Guangxi, China, is significant to the operation and marketing of fresh fruit e-commerce. In view of these perspectives, we developed a user portrait model for fresh fruits in the Guangxi province based on three key dimensions: user information, fruit category details, and user evaluation information. Utilizing Rost CM software to analyze the content of user comments, including keyword word frequency analysis, semantic network analysis and consumers' shopping sentiment mining, so as to find out the existing problems, and provide decision-making reference for the improvement of the supply chain system of fresh fruits in Guangxi.

Diversity of Mycotoxins and Other Secondary Metabolites Recovered from Blood Oranges Infected by Colletotrichum, Alternaria, and Penicillium Species.

This study identified secondary metabolites produced by Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Penicillium digitatum in fruits of two blood orange cultivars before harvest. Analysis was performed by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Three types of fruits were selected, asymptomatic, symptomatic showing necrotic lesions caused by hail, and mummified. Extracts from peel and juice were analyzed separately. Penicillium digitatum was the prevalent species recovered from mummified and hail-injured fruits. Among 47 secondary metabolites identified, 16, 18, and 13 were of A. alternata, C. gloeosporioides, and P. digitatum, respectively. Consistently with isolations, indicating the presence of these fungi also in asymptomatic fruits, the metabolic profiles of the peel of hail-injured and asymptomatic fruits did not differ substantially. Major differences were found in the profiles of juice from hail-injured and mummified fruits, such as a significant higher presence of 5,4-dihydroxy-3,7,8-trimethoxy-6C-methylflavone and Atrovenetin, particularly in the juice of mummified fruits of the Tarocco Lempso cultivar. Moreover, the mycotoxins patulin and Rubratoxin B were detected exclusively in mummified fruits. Patulin was detected in both the juice and peel, with a higher relative abundance in the juice, while Rubratoxin B was detected only in the juice. These findings provide basic information for evaluating and preventing the risk of contamination by mycotoxins in the citrus fresh fruit supply chain and juice industry.

Why defuzzification matters: An empirical study of fresh fruit supply chain management

The measurement validity of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) questionnaires used for multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and their fuzzification-based extensions have not yet been definitively investigated. In this context, we investigated the effect of a fuzzification procedure on the variable measurement validity and statistical results of an AHP model. Based on market data regarding factors influencing the production and marketing stages of the Taiwanese litchi export chain, we verified whether the estimated variables exhibit unbiased validity after applying a fuzzification procedure using the balanced scorecard framework and MCDM. We also measured the effectiveness of two defuzzification methods—centre of gravity (COG) and extent analysis method (EAM)—and compared their estimation performances. Further, we successfully established fresh fruit supply chain indicators and assigned weights to them corresponding to their importance. The results revealed that global priority values determined using COG were similar to those estimated using the fuzzification-free AHP, which is critical for simple hierarchical structures. The EAM accurately identified the crucial indicators and variables affecting the complex supply system of fresh fruit, highlighting the benefits of fuzzy AHP data application corresponding to extensive hierarchies. The proposed method is expected to aid decision makers in improving the quality of their decision-making by evaluating the effect of data fuzzification with respect to information scale and applying appropriate defuzzification methods to reduce option screening.

Assessment of sweet cherry fruit quality according to the requirements of the modern market

Assessment of commercial properties of sweet cherry fruit determines the competitiveness of fresh fruit in the modern market. The selection of cultivars with the highest number of high-quality fruits to meet the preferences of all stakeholders is relevant. The purpose of this study was to substantiate the commercial indicators for assessing the quality of sweet cherry fruit of three ripening periods and to select the most competitive cultivars for sustainable supply of fresh fruit to the modern market. The methods used in the study were field, laboratory, and comparative. The commercial properties of 33 sweet cherry cultivars of early, middle, and late ripening were determined. The sweet cherry fruits of the cultivars under study were divided into two commercial classes according to fruit size and defects. The fruits were analysed for the following defects: cracked, scarred, and browned skin. The amount of non-standard sweet cherry fruit production for each cultivar was determined. For each ripening period of sweet cherry varieties, the average value of the volume of fruits of classes I-II and non-standard products was established. A general trend towards an increase in the amount of high-quality fruit raw materials for late-ripening cultivars was identified. The most valuable cultivars of early (Skazka and Zabuta), medium (Uliublenytsia Turovtseva and Temp) and late (Anons) ripening were identified, which provided the maximum number of class I fruits. The maximum production was determined in the Merchant (early ripening), Cordia (medium ripening) and Karina (late ripening) cultivars. The lowest volume of non-standard products was found in cultivars of different ripening periods – Skazka, Prostir, and Anons. The fruit classification into commercial classes can be used to evaluate the fruit of sweet cherry cultivars and determine the possibility of using them fresh, for long-term chilled storage and for various further processing methods

The Effect of the Method of Plant Protection on the Quality of Remontant Strawberry Cultivars Grown in a Gutter System under Covers

To maintain a constant supply of fresh fruit from May to November, producers increase the area of strawberry cultivation under shelters and grow strawberries that repeat fruiting. An additional problem is the reduction of available pesticides caused by the recommendations of the European Green Deal. For these reasons, the authors undertook to compare cultivars to determine which had the best quality fruits and whichplant wasmost resistant to the most dangerous pests.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the method of plant protection on the health and quality of the fruit yield of three remontant strawberry cultivars grown in a soilless medium. This study evaluated fruit yield and fruit quality as well as the contribution of pathogens to yield losses. For this purpose, standard phytopathological methods were used to identify the causes of disease symptoms on the fruit. At the same time, laboratory tests were carried out on the quality of the harvested strawberries, i.e., firmness and acidity of the fruit, soluble solids content, and respiration rate. The applied protection methods had little effect on the marketable yield and fruit size but had a significant impact on reducing fruit losses caused by the most common diseases. The effectiveness of individual protection methods inreducing the incidence of the tested pathogens and the effect on fruit quality parameters depended on the cultivar and growing season.

Distribution chain diagrams for fresh fruit supply chains: A baseline for emission assessment

Background: Globalisation has undoubtedly revolutionised the way modern society functions by connecting different people, economies, cultures and technology. This integration depends on the adequate movement of goods by increasingly more complex and longer global supply chains (SCs). The structure of the distribution chain and the individual activities that jointly facilitate the transportation of commodities such as fresh fruit have not been well defined, making it difficult and ambiguous to determine greenhouse gas emissions. Mapping the various distribution scenarios of fruit and stating the emission-generating activities not only enable the analysis and management of these activities but also provide a basis for calculating emissions.Objectives: The key objective is to describe all the physical emission-generating distribution activities that take place during the international export of fresh fruit from South Africa. These activities were used to create distribution chain diagrams that define the structure of fresh fruit distribution.Method: To identify activities, a literature review, direct observation of distribution activities at logistical facilities and unstructured interviews with operational managers at these facilities were performed. Scenario planning was used to combine generic activities into realistic distribution chain diagrams. The activities and diagrams were validated by semistructured interviews with four industry experts.Results: Following the identification of emission-generating activities, five generic distribution chain diagrams were created that should represent all possible distribution scenarios for fresh fruit.Conclusion: The generic distribution scenarios not only capture the various methods by which fresh fruit is exported from South Africa but also form the basis of seven important emission-related managerial practices.

Developing New Cultivars of Prunus × Rossica Erem. And Clonal Rootstocks at the Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station

Abstract The paper considers the possibilities of expanding the assortment of plum cultivars in world production by hybridising large-fruited myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) cultivars with those of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) and other diploid stone fruit species. Because of many years of breeding work in Russia, cultivars of a new hybridogenous species Prunus × rossica Erem. (Russian plum) have been created, which can ensure a stable supply of fresh fruit from late June to September and complement the assortment of common plum cultivars. A description is given for the best adaptive, high-yielding cultivars with good taste and high canning qualities — ‘Kubanskaya Kometa’, ‘Globus’, ‘Gek’, ‘Iyulskaya Roza’, ‘Dynnaya’, ‘Kolonnovidnaya’, and ‘Podarok Sad-Gigantu’. The efficiency of their cultivation using intensive technologies and own-rooted plants, as well as clonal rootstocks bred at the Krymsk Station, has been shown. It is recommended to carry out intensive cultivation of Russian plum using medium vigorous rootstocks like Kuban 86, Evrika 99, Zarevo, Fortuna and dwarf rootstocks VVA 1, Best, Upryamets and VSV 1.

Mathematical Programming Models for Fresh Fruit Supply Chain Optimization: A Review of the Literature and Emerging Trends

The fresh fruit agricultural and distribution sector is faced with risks and uncertainties from climate change, water scarcity, land-use increase for industrial and urban development, consumer behavior, and price volatility. The planning framework for production and distribution is highly complex as a result. Mathematical models have been developed over the decades to deal with this complexity. With improvements in both processor speed and memory, these models are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This review focuses on the recent progress in mathematically based decision making to account for uncertainties in the fresh fruit supply chain. The models in the literature are mostly based on linear and mixed integer programming and involve variants such as stochastic programming and robust optimization. The functional areas of application include planting, harvest optimization, logistics and distribution. The perishability of the fresh fruit supply chain is an important issue as is the cycle time of cultivation and harvest.

Circular Economy and Sustainability in the Fresh Fruit Supply Chain: A Study across Brazil and the UK

In this paper, we evaluate how the categories and practices of sustainable supply chain management influence the principles of circular economy, through a case study in a fresh fruit supply chain whose production side is in Brazil and demand side is in the United Kingdom. We build an integrative model that relates these constructs to the reduction of loss and waste in food supply chains. The results show that the fresh fruit supply chain is oriented towards sustainability, based on pressures from stakeholders. Therefore, it is market-driven, which may explain the imperfect fit to the proposed model.

A Two-stage Optimization Model for Tactical Planning in Fresh Fruit Supply Chains: A Case Study of Kullu, India

A Two-stage Optimization Model for Tactical Planning in Fresh Fruit Supply Chains: A Case Study of Kullu, India

Caracterización de genotipos de durazno como alternativa para ampliar la oferta de comercialización en fresco

La producción de durazno de Zacatecas actualmente enfrenta baja productividad y competitividad por múltiples factores. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del estudio fue caracterizar genotipos de durazno con características sobresalientes en época de cosecha y calidad de fruto. Un grupo de 91 genotipos con seis años de una población mejorada de 403 híbridos y segregantes de durazno plantados al azar en altas densidades en 2008, fue seleccionado y evaluado en 2014. Los testigos fueron ‘Victoria’ y un segregante de ‘Victoria’ (VicS). Para la fenotipación de la fruta (n = 10), ésta se recolectó en madurez de consumo. Las variables de respuestas de cada fruto fueron: diámetro polar y ecuatorial, masa fresca, masa del endocarpio y mesocarpio y concentración de materia seca de cada fruto; así como el color de la epicarpio y mesocarpio, firmeza y concentración de sólidos solubles totales. Los genotipos sobresalientes de durazno GD1, GD3, GD5 y GD7 maduraron en junio, GD43 en julio, GD45, GD47 y GD68 en agosto, mientras que GD70, GD77 y GD87 maduraron en septiembre, respectivamente. Además, estos genotipos tuvieron las mejores características fenotípicas del fruto. Los resultados sugieren que el periodo de suministro de fruta fresca y la diversificación del durazno con calidad competitiva para Zacatecas y zonas agroecológicas similares pueden ampliarse para mejorar las perspectivas del cultivo en estas regiones.

Do Farmers’ Markets Offer Consumers an Available and Affordable Supply of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Compared to Other Retail Outlets in Australia?

ABSTRACT We investigated the cost and availability of fruit and vegetables at farmers’ markets, supermarkets and greengrocers/primarily fruit and vegetable retail outlet. Data on 43 seasonal fruit and vegetables were collected in person from 17 accredited farmers’ markets, 17 supermarkets and 16 greengrocers across 20 locations (9 rural, 11 urban). Greengrocers were found to be significantly cheaper than supermarkets (AU$4.70 (2.99, 7.99) vs AU$5.00 (3.00, 8.88) p = 0.010). Farmers’ markets had lower availability or fewer varieties of fruit and vegetables (32 (20,35) compared to greengrocers 37 (31.75, 40.5) p = 0.028). Greengrocers may be the most accessible fruit and vegetable retail outlet.

Optimization Model for Fresh Fruit Supply Chains: Case-Study of Dragon Fruit in Vietnam

We present an optimization model for dragon fruit plantations in Vietnam. The timing of cultivating and harvesting decisions are taken into account as the dragon fruit plant has an approximately ten-year life cycle with maximum average yield in the fourth year. Another consideration also included is the prevalence of forward-buying contracts with locked-in prices. The dragon fruit supply chain faces several difficulties as yield, price, and demand are highly sensitive to weather conditions and global uncertainty factors. The risk factors in the dragon fruit supply chain also depend on species—for example, the red varieties, while more profitable than the white varieties, also have higher export risk because they are subject to global prices and adverse geopolitical conditions.

Unveiling how ventilated packaging design and cold chain scenarios affect the cooling kinetics and fruit quality for each single citrus fruit in an entire pallet

• We target the impact of 3 ventilated packaging designs and 3 cold chain scenarios. • We quantify cooling kinetics and fruit quality evolution for over 3000 fruit in a pallet. • The Supervent package provides the overall best performance. • The ambient loading scenario, so loading fruit warm in the container, is a promising alternative. • We identify which specific box in a pallet has the longest shelf life. Optimizing fresh fruit supply chains is essential to reduce food losses and the associated environmental impact, as large amounts of energy and natural resources are embodied in these lost products. Proper refrigeration of these perishable items is essential here, and the used ventilated packaging design and cold chain scenario play a key role. This study pioneers in unveiling how package design, package position on a pallet, package stacking pattern and cold chain scenarios affect the cooling kinetics and fruit quality evolution for every single fruit of the thousands of fruit inside a pallet. This enables us to identify fruit quality heterogeneities on a pallet level, where previous studies typically focused on an order of magnitude less fruit. For this purpose, our recently developed virtual cold chain methodology is applied to these large ensembles of fruit, which relies on computational fluid dynamics simulations. Of the three evaluated packaging designs for citrus fruit, the Supervent package outperforms the Standard and Opentop packaging by providing the overall fastest and most uniform cooling. Supervent’s performance is attributed to the alignment of ventilation pathways through the lateral vent holes. The performance of the Standard package is very similar, apart from the inefficient cooling at lower speeds. The Opentop packaging exhibits lengthy and non-uniform citrus fruit cooling, due to the unequal distribution of the vent openings on its long and short sides, and near the top surface. This unequal distribution fosters the creation of preferential pathways and faster cooling of the top layer of fruit in each box. Concerning the cold chain scenarios, forced-airflow precooling is the fastest to bring down the temperature after harvest. The promising scenario “ambient loading”, where citrus fruit are loaded at ambient temperatures in the container, proves to be a worthy alternative. We could also show that stacking the pallet in a mechanically more stable way negatively affects the cooling heterogeneity. Finally, our methodology enables us to identify, for a certain cold chain, which box on the pallet the customer should choose to have the longest shelf life, or which box the retailer should sell first.

The exposure of a fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain to global water-related risks

ABSTRACT We have combined estimates of the UK’s supply of fresh fruit and vegetables (1996 – 2015) with estimates of water requirements and water scarcity in producing countries, to identify where the supply is exposed to physical, regulatory and reputational water risks and how this has changed over time. Some 76% of the freshwater consumed in the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to the UK is withdrawn overseas. The supply chain is particularly exposed to water risks in Spain, Egypt, South Africa, Chile, Morocco, Israel and Peru. Exposure has increased over time.

Blueberry Supply Chain in Italy: Management, Innovation and Sustainability

The growing trend market of fresh products is driven by a consumer oriented to new lifestyles and environmental issues. The berries market in Europe represents a good example of a consumer driven supply chain, due to the capacity to answer all the sequences of the system. To explore the process developed by fruit growers’ associated groups in Italy, the research is organized into four stages. The first stage provides a review of the organization of the fresh fruit supply chain (FFSC) and the need to innovate it in light of the driven demand. The second section focuses on the innovation displayed towards storing, managing and maintaining the quality of fruit during the supply. The third section considers the case study. The manuscript concludes by summarising the main results and discussing the implications for future research. The use of a modified active packaging system (MAP) with “green” films has enabled the maintenance of the quality of the fruits for two months, as well as the presence of the company blueberries market for longer periods, and has finally led to improving the exports, thus reaching new European countries, increasing the turnover of the associated group and better remuneration for the fruit growers as a consequence.

Price satisfaction and producer loyalty: the role of mediators in business to business relationships in Kenyan mango supply chain

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate which dimensions of price satisfaction influence producers’ trust in buyers and assess the mediating role of such trust in the relationship between price satisfaction and producer loyalty in fresh fruit supply chains. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study design using both semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires was used. The study was conducted in the eastern part of Kenya and included 600 smallholders. Data was analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The results show that price fairness, price reliability, and relative price are dimensions of price satisfaction that affect producers’ trust in the buyer. Moreover, trust between the producer and the buyer is found to be a strong mediator between price satisfaction and producer loyalty. The findings support recent studies about trust and its mediating role. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on a cross-sectional study design, limiting the causal inferences which can be drawn. Producers’ preferences change with time and future studies should be based on longitudinal designs. Originality/value This paper shows the relationship between the multidimensional nature of price satisfaction and producer loyalty with trust as a mediating variable in the business-to-business (B2B) context. Although B2B relationships have been shown to be of great importance for smallholders in enhancing business performance with their buyers, little attention has been given to the role of trust as a mediator. This study offers interesting insights into the how trust plays a mediating role between price satisfaction and loyalty in a developing country context.