Perceptions of Supply Chain Management for Perishable Horticultural Crops: an Introduction

Perceptions of Supply Chain Management for Perishable Horticultural

Crops: an Introduction

Errol W. Hewett

Chair ISHS Quality and Postharvest Commission

Institute for Food, Nutrition and Human Health

Massey University, Albany Campus

Private Bag 102 904, North Shore Mail Centre

Auckland, New Zealand

Keywords: fruits and vegetables; supply chain; management; logistics; quality; kiwifruit;

apples; apricots; consumer satisfaction.

Abstract

To ensure that the highest and appropriate quality of product is available for

consumers, it is critically important that all parties involved in the production,

packing, storage, transport, distribution and marketing of fresh fruits and

vegetables do everything correctly in the chain from farm to plate. Over the past

decade a major transformation has occurred in the way firms undertake business.

Those that understand how the supply chain can be optimised and logistic processes

can be improved have obtained enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty, lower

costs and improved market share and profitability. Supply chain management

[SCM] has become a key business process; adopting key principles of developing

strategic alliances; optimising organisational structures; developing the human

resource to embrace the corporate vision and commitment to excellence; continually

improving tools available in information technology have all had a major impact on

company success. Can such principles be applied to the fresh fruit and vegetable

industry that tends to be characterised by large numbers of small growers in

dispersed locations with disparate products of variable quality, and who exist in an

environment of mistrust and dubious loyalties? Examples from New Zealand of

success (ZESPRI International Ltd) and opportunity (the stone fruit industry) are

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used to demonstrate some of the difficulties that must be overcome to bring about

necessary changes in the chain. It is suggested that those sectors that do not

implement appropriate SCM systems run a real risk of failure in the foreseeable

future.

INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

On behalf of the President of the International Society for Horticultural Science

(ISHS), Dr Norman Looney, and the ISHS Board, I welcome you all to this the third

meeting of your international, multidisciplinary group concerned with fruit and vegetable

quality.

As Chair of the Quality and Postharvest Commission I am delighted that you

decided to bring your meeting into the ISHS fold. We are a cross commodity Commission

with more than 200 members who have interests in fruit and vegetable quality from

orchard to plate, from physiology to pathology and from molecular biology to modeling.

It is hoped that this meeting will become a regular part of our postharvest series, joining

general postharvest horticulture, Controlled Atmosphere Storage, Postharvest Unlimited

(which had its first meeting in 2002), and Model-It, each of which has a meeting every 3-

4 years. Our Commission now sponsors at least one major international Postharvest

Symposium each year.

I would encourage you to become a Working Group within the Quality and

Postharvest Commission. Working Groups are the heart of the ISHS. They are made up of

keen, enthusiastic and committed individuals from a diverse range of professional

backgrounds, who want to organise regular symposia on their specialised field of interest.

I want to encourage the multidisciplinary activities of our Commission and build up

Proc. Int. Conf. Quality in Chains

Eds. Tijskens & Vollebregt 37

Acta Hort. 604, ISHS 2003