2011 was a tough year for the Spanish agricultural sector after the German authorities threw accusations to Spanish producers and traders of cucumbers of spreading the virus which caused the death of several people in Germany. Two well-known Spanish firms were actually held responsible, damaging their image and sinking a sector that employs thousands of people.
In any case, Frunet Bio is the living example of the phrase "what does not kill you, can only make you stronger."
Frunet Bio has six hectares for its own production in high-tech greenhouses, where it grows long term organic vegetables from October to late July. Organic tomatoes are Frunet Bio's flagship product and some of its specialties include vine tomatoes, pear tomatoes, cherry, cherry vine, cherry pear, cocktail tomato and also the Rebelión. During the winter they also produce large volumes of peppers, courgettes, aubergines and naturally also cucumbers.
For more information:
Richar Soepenberg
FRUNET BIO
T:+34 952 52 75 10
M: +34 661684861
[email protected]
www.frunetbio.com
One of these two firms was Frunet Bio, a specialist in organic product based in Malaga. "May 2011 is impossible to forget. It was very tough and unfair, as we automatically lost every client we had, because everybody connected Frunet with E. Coli and bad quality. It literally sank our business," remembers Frunet Bio Commercial Director, Richard Soepenberg (photo).
"After that, we had nothing for three months and we had to rebuild our relationships with clients, demonstrating through rigorous analyses the quality and safety of our products. At the time we also found new providers in Almeria to complement our own production."
In any case, Frunet Bio is the living example of the phrase "what does not kill you, can only make you stronger."
"Now, in 2013, we can say that not only have we fully recovered our previous clients and producers, but we have also built a safe and solid base in matters of quality, which nowadays constitutes our main differentiating factor. We even expect to increase our revenue and production volumes this year," explains Richard Soepenberg.
Frunet Bio has six hectares for its own production in high-tech greenhouses, where it grows long term organic vegetables from October to late July. Organic tomatoes are Frunet Bio's flagship product and some of its specialties include vine tomatoes, pear tomatoes, cherry, cherry vine, cherry pear, cocktail tomato and also the Rebelión. During the winter they also produce large volumes of peppers, courgettes, aubergines and naturally also cucumbers.
They also produce organic mangoes and avocados in the only are in Europe where these subtropical fruits can grow, although in the off-season they import products from other countries. At the moment, organic mangoes come from the Dominican Republic.
Always under the Frunet Bio brand and its Supreme Bio Premium brand, they dedicate 99% of the production to exports within the EU, with Germany as the main client for this niche market. The organic market is sadly still not so large in Spain.
"Even taking into account the strong recession in Spain, there is a clear lack of information regarding organic products. In my opinion, supermarkets do not value this niche market enough and this reflects on prices. In the past, the gap between the price of conventional products and organic products was larger, not because of an increase in the price of conventional products, but to organic products becoming cheaper. Maybe the problem is that supply is growing faster than demand," points out Richard Soepenberg.
"Although it is still hard to find organic products in Spanish supermarkets, we are starting to notice a slight increase in interest from some supermarkets. I strongly believe that Spain has good potential for the organic sector, given the high levels of consumption of fruit and vegetables. For this reason, I believe that the lack of knowledge among consumers could only be reversed if supermarkets themselves conducted promotional campaigns to inform their customers about the benefits of organic products, to help them understand their value and why they have a higher price tag," he concludes.
"Although it is still hard to find organic products in Spanish supermarkets, we are starting to notice a slight increase in interest from some supermarkets. I strongly believe that Spain has good potential for the organic sector, given the high levels of consumption of fruit and vegetables. For this reason, I believe that the lack of knowledge among consumers could only be reversed if supermarkets themselves conducted promotional campaigns to inform their customers about the benefits of organic products, to help them understand their value and why they have a higher price tag," he concludes.
For more information:
Richar Soepenberg
FRUNET BIO
T:+34 952 52 75 10
M: +34 661684861
[email protected]
www.frunetbio.com