For most companies, 2021 was a difficult year. The COVID-19 pandemic has put stress on every link in the supply chain. Many manufacturers have been unable to source the raw materials necessary for production. Those fortunate enough to maintain their material sources have seen significant delays. Distributors have seen unprecedented inconsistencies from their ocean and land freight carriers. Those fortunate enough to secure space on a vessel have seen historical delays. Many locations have seen up to a 75% reduction in available vessels.
"As you may have experienced, we have not been immune to these challenges", says Shan Halamba with Riococo, one of the world's largest suppliers of coir cultivation solutions. "That said, our ability to navigate these trying times has surpassed that of other coco coir suppliers."
He explains how, as a vertically-integrated company they control all aspects of their coco coir growth, production, and distribution. "We maintain a vast community of coconut palm plantations throughout inland Sri Lanka. Our own raw material production plants and the raw materials from selected third parties are used by our expanding network of factories in Sri Lanka. This has allowed us to increase our coco coir supply, add new products to our line, and maintain the quality and consistency to which our growers are accustomed."
"To maintain a dependable connection to space on outgoing containers ships in the port of Colombo we work directly with multiple shipping lines. This allows the flexibility to get containers onto ships quickly, avoid bottlenecks stateside, and ensure prompt arrival of coco coir to our clients", Shan continues.
"In these unprecedented and rapidly fluctuating times, we have adapted and will continue to do so. Riococo understands the importance of a consistent substrate, in both quality and supply. We thank all our buyers in 64 countries, worldwide distributors for standing by us and look forward to continuing our mutual growth."
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