Juan Manuel López: “Fruit Attraction has grown up without losing sight of the needs of the sector”

After the celebration of the tenth edition of Fruit Attraction, Juan Manuel López, marketing director of Seipasa, explains in E-commerce Agrario the latest developments that have presented in what is the largest international fair in the sector, as well as how a year more this sample has met all the objectives.

With what objectives did you arrive at this fair? Would you say that they have been fulfilled?

Seipasa has participated in Fruit Attraction with the aim of highlighting its catalog of biopesticides with phytosanitary registry for agriculture. We have records in countries such as the US, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal or Morocco, among others. In addition, Seipasa has ongoing processes for obtaining records in countries such as Turkey, Greece, Chile, Ecuador or Colombia.

The registration is a guarantee of quality for the safe production of food. Putting registered products on the market requires a high investment in terms of time and money, but that is the commitment that Seipasa has acquired with its customers from the beginning. References such as Pirecris, Nakar, Fungisei, Seican or Septum have been protagonists in an edition of Fruit Attraction in which we wanted to be very close to all our customers, technicians and distributors.

We are talking about solutions with high added value, without waste and with a high innovation component that the market demands and needs before the new regulatory framework that the European Union is imposing. We are very satisfied with the market response.

What novelties have led to the fair?

At Fruit Attraction we celebrated our 20th anniversary and we have done it with the aim of reaffirming the values ​​that have brought us here. That is, a commitment to the development of natural solutions without waste for agriculture based on innovation, research and natural technology. We have taken advantage of the framework of the fair to organize an event with all our customers and distributors.

We have had a great master of ceremonies such as Jacob Petrus, presenter of ‘Here the Earth’ (TVE), renowned scientific popularizer and, in addition, a character completely aligned with our values. Together with him we have announced the next launch of Fungisei in the Mexican market. It is a biofungicide that is already successfully marketed in Peru, Morocco and the US. Fungisei will arrive very soon to Mexico, once we obtain the corresponding phytosanitary registry.

What have the attendees of the fair been able to find when visiting their stand?

Seipasa has been presented to the market as a global brand. Our vision is absolutely international, that is to say, that of a company with registered solutions for its use and commercialization in the most demanding farms in the world. At Seipasa we have been developing solutions adapted to all types of agriculture for 20 years.

In Fruit Attrraction we have tried to put face to this global vision of the company with the presence in our stand of the business directors of Seipasa in USA, Mexico and Africa. They have participated with us to analyze the challenges of agriculture in their respective areas of influence and to detail which is our catalog of solutions in each one of them.

This global vision has been very present in all the activities that we have carried out in Fruit Attraction. The fair has also been the setting we have chosen to present the first edition of the Seipasa Natural Technology Awards. The awards are born with the intention of recognizing and encouraging the value of innovation and sustainability applied to agriculture anywhere in the world.

How has the fair evolved since its inception? Do you think that it has been adapted to the requirements and needs of the sector?

Fruit Attraction has completed 10 editions, of which Seipasa has been present in 9 of them. Year after year we have experienced the growth of Fruit Attraction and its international expansion. This year the activity has filled a total of 8 pavilions, but we still remember the initial editions where everything was concentrated in 2 or 3 pavilions.

I believe that Fruit Attraction has grown up without losing sight of the needs of the sector, that is, being very close to all the demands of the companies that are part of it. The offer has grown from the fruit and vegetable sector to become a meeting point for the entire supply chain.

What would you highlight, at a general level, of Fruit Attraction?

I would highlight the effort and specialization to integrate all the actors of the supply chain of the fruit and vegetable sector. In the case of the auxiliary industry, in which Seipasa is integrated, the added value offered by Fruit Attraction is very high.

Likewise, beyond the exhibition space, environments have been generated for debate and reflection, such as the Innova Forum, and scenarios in which to expose and recognize the commitment made by companies for innovation.

Do you think that the commitment to internationalization has been beneficial both for visitors and for exhibiting companies?

Without a doubt, yes. In 2018 there have been more than 1,600 companies from 120 countries. The effort to go abroad has been very important in recent years, but I believe that this commitment to internationalization should be further strengthened in future editions. Fruit Attraction is still far from its roof. The fair will continue to grow and I believe that it should do so by reinforcing this element of international exchange as an added value for companies.

By: Judit Cortés