Biggest challenges for 2021? COVID first and then everything else
What’s your biggest challenge for 2021?
Going back to “business casual” from comfy sweat pants, perhaps?
I recently asked members of the LinkedIn Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group that question posed this way:
What is the biggest challenge for your business in 2021? What is the biggest opportunity?
Responses came from produce operators in the U.S., Canada, India, Ukraine, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Egypt, Eastern Europe, Mexico, Peru, and Australia.
Here are some excerpts from their replies:
- Competition;
- The biggest challenge is that our contracts are stopped because people can`t understand how to deliver goods to their countries. And the biggest opportunities are in the field of broken supply chains of other suppliers;
- Growing the business. Being owner operated, all opportunities have the potential to be the biggest.
- COVID-19 travel restrictions;
- Slow... I guess Virus;
- Biggest challenge is finding shippers. Biggest opportunities still working on it;
- Brexit;
- Investments at customers. Opportunity is automation;
- COVID-19 is the obvious disruptor... staying safe & lean with COVID-19 will continue to challenge; hoping recovery will bring opportunity in 2021;
- Growth. Organics;
- Biggest challenge is to reach customers in need of my services without flying. Biggest opportunity is the increased investment my customers are making in the area of enhancing their displays with new fixtures and remodels;
- COVID-19;
- 1) Finding innovative ways to helping producers during pandemic; 2) improving value chains in the supply of fruits and vegetables;
- Maintaining high volume of product against increase of customer volume;
- COVID restrictions, more attention to environment;
- Online business;
- Pivoting due to the impacts from COVID;
- Competing against the big guys; opportunity is the recovery;
- Challenge = COVID is still an issue. Opportunity = controlled growth;
- Ensuring cash flow is maintained for my clients;
- Health concerns for employees;
- Penetrate the market with technical post-harvest solutions; and
- Getting restaurant business back on its feet. Opportunity increase consumption of fruits and vegetables as good medicine.
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Check out the Freshfel Europe promotion plan for fruits and vegetables. The trade association is launching a campaign aimed at EU decision makers to boost support for the fresh fruit and vegetable sector in all policy areas in the shift under the European Green Deal towards sustainable and healthy diets.
The digital campaign will be at the forefront of Freshfel Europe’s activities throughout the upcoming year to celebrate and support the 2021 International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, according to a news release.
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It isn’t exactly a “hit piece” but the Huff Post’s “Why You May Want To Reconsider Buying Precut Vegetables And Fruits” is no celebration of bagged salads either.
The tag line for the article reads “Sure, packaged produce is convenient. But aside from it being expensive, there are other red flags to watch for.”
Ugh.
While the article fuzzily alludes to economic, freshness and food safety reasons that whole produce could be better than fresh cut, the story does admit that precut produce could get people to eat more fruits and vegetables.
There is no doubt in my mind that fresh-cut produce increases the consumer appeal and consumption of fruits and vegetables. The fact that value-added fruit and vegetable sales have grown as much as they have reflects the fact that most consumers feel the same way.
