The fresh produce industry has quite a complicated supply chain. Typically companies specialize in different parts of the supply chain. We have farmers, exporters, logistics providers, etc. Not all companies have the expertise to perform multiple functions in the supply chain.
According to Hiroyuki Yamaguchi of KSS Japan, “KSS Japan is known for transporting fresh items such as fruits, vegetables and flowers. We work mostly with grapes, peach, Japanese pears, apples and oranges. We are the only company in Japan that owns cold storage locations for importing and exporting of fresh produce in Japan’s major international airports. We do end to end logistics, which means we work with trucks for transportation, as well as check the quality of items for export. This gives us the unique opportunity to work with farmers, wholesalers and other logistics related partners.”
KSS Japan is not just a logistics provider as it has recently taken the role of exporter. “We export grapes, peaches and pears to countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. China right now has been impossible to do business with, due to the strict regulations of their government. We work directly with our network of local farmers. By doing this our company is more involved in the supply chain. We produce high quality fruits which have resulted in increasing volumes for us. Muscat grapes and golden peaches have been our main products for our market," Yamaguchi concludes.
