Three years ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. For Sergey Geraskin of GAAST, it was a hard blow. He founded the export company GAAST with his son Anton in the summer of 2020, after 20 years in the Dutch fresh produce trade, with Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus as the main export markets. "We mainly supply wholesale customers, who in turn supply supermarkets and other markets. We offer as many as 150 different products, from carrots to durian, which are shipped in that direction every week."
Trade flourished in the first few years, but the war disrupted everything three years ago. "Every year, exports have only declined," Sergey observes. "In the early years, we were still exporting five or six truckloads a week to Ukraine—now it's no more than two. Many Ukrainians have fled, so there is simply less demand for trade." The same applies to many Moldovans, according to the exporter. "Many people from Moldova have moved to Romania. They speak roughly the same language and share a common heritage."
"We have tried to compensate for the decline in exports by targeting other markets, but it has not been easy. For instance, we had customers in Azerbaijan, but after a few deliveries, they went directly to our suppliers in Costa Rica for pineapples and Brazil for limes. We had a similar experience in Iceland—customers paid well, but after a few deliveries, the business was over."
Geraskin's greatest hope is for peace between Russia and Ukraine. "I do have hope that this could happen by the end of the year. The U.S. will have to play a leading role in that, but we remain hopeful." Sergey, who moved to the Netherlands from the Soviet Union with his family 30 years ago, also sees a great advantage in GAAST being a true family business. "This is reflected in our company name—the letters stand for Geraskin, Anita, Anton, Sergey, and Tatjana. Together, we are strong!"
For more information:
Sergey Geraskin
GAAST BV
Handelsweg 35
2988 DB Ridderkerk
+31 (0)180 447220
[email protected]
