Kees Havenaar has been living and working in Spain for a few decades now. Seven years ago he started the Spanish business Frutas Luna with Niek Haerkens and Marco de Keijzer of Marni Fruit. Mainly Spanish greenhouse vegetables are supplied to the Northern European market under the Luna label, and the challenge is to extend the assortment further over the next few years. Our colleagues from AGF.nl visited Frutas Luna on location in Roquetas de Mar.
From left to right: Anne Marie Vliegen, Esther Kamphuis, Pedro Girado, Cecilia Sanchez and Kees Havenaar in front of the office in Roquetas de Mar.
"Frutas Luna is a specialist with Almería assortment. We supply peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergines and tomatoes, both organic and conventional. We also carry melons. The challenge for the next few years is to further extend the package, for instance with stonefruit, berries or lettuce. For us this is a new branch. You can't tell me anything new about peppers, but the growing potential is in extending our assortment. That would result in a better distribution of work all year round," says Kees.
Cooperation with Marni Fruit and Marni Organics
He emphasises that Frutas Luna operates fully as an independent company. "We have the same vision and carry the same brands as Marni Fruits, Luna and KINGS, but if I can get a higher price somewhere else, I'll sell it there. We're not a serving hatch. I am very satisfied with this cooperation. You can really build something together. You can see it in Marni Organics, which was founded last year, who we supply a lot of Spanish organic greenhouse vegetables to. We also notice the rising demand for organics at the fairs and we put the power of our group to good use there. We present the group as Marni Fruit during the Fruit Logistica, but at the Fruit Attraction we will mainly be there as Frutas Luna. Fruit Attraction is the main fair for us, but the fair doesn't have to grow any more as far as I'm concerned. I hope that the fair will keep its personal character and not chase 'Berlin' too much, as there are a lot of suppliers already."
Visiting Frutas Luna's pepper supplier
Service
Frutas Luna sources products from growers with an area that varies from 1 to 100 hectares, albeit never on an exclusive basis. "I always say to growers that if they can get a better price somewhere else, they should do it right away. Over the course of the years we have built up quite a network of growers around us, from whom we source the product, often straight from the plants," says Kees. "We fight for both our growers and customers and if all three parties are making money from it, we're doing it right. We are the customers' eyes and ears, we watch the loading, carry out quality control and regulate the logistics. That service is worth a few extra pennies to a lot of importers."
Quality manager Pedro shows the peppers (Murcia-type)
In general Kees speaks of a 'normal' Spanish greenhouse vegetable season. "The aubergine season was quite difficult with quite low prices. The courgettes also started slow, but that market was then good for three months or so. For peppers the prices of the progeny are now exceptionally high, but the main season was very normal. We do notice that the Russian embargo has hit the Spanish vegetable season hard. Last year we were sending full trucks of peppers and aubergines to the Russian market and you miss those sales. It would be great for us if the embargo were to be lifted."
"The Spanish season runs from October to April. There are only a few months in which the money has to be made, because then we are strongly dependent on the Dutch price. But every year is different and the weather is in control. If it's cold here in November, you can't count on the cucumbers having a good price in January. Morocco remains a competitor, especially in tomatoes and Israel has an important sales market with Russia."
The Dutchman in Spain looks toward the future with confidence. "The greenhouse area in Almeria is around 30,000 hectares. You never know what the prices will be over the next few years, but horticulture will never disappear from here. It won't become simpler, in recent years more and more larger growers have started taking care of their own sales and due to the mass unemployment there have been more commissioners. The margins are coming under pressure, but the trick for us will be to continue to work low cost and supply the same service." He rules out a return to the Netherlands. "I have my family, friends, a great climate and a great company here, what else could I want?"
For more information:
Frutas Luna import/export S.L.
Calle Américo Vespucio 9
04740 Roquetas de Mar (Almería)
Tel: 0034-950178653
Mov: 0034-670916286
kees@frutasluna.com
www.frutasluna.com