“We are no longer in shortages of food. We double-cultivate virtually all over the world. This means that if anything happened in a particular country it is always possible to fall back on alternatives,” says Fred Douven who is the CEO of abbGrowers regarding the blueberries that the company cultivates and sells. “That’s an important thing to be doing now since there’s plenty happening around the world right now, which includes environmental issues. There’s no way to put your money on one horse any longer because it’s high risk.”

The company’s annual revenue is about 10 million tonnes of blueberries. This Dutch firm works with farmers in South America, Africa, as well as Europe. The company further widened their spreading of risk with new initiatives that are in Tanzania, Turkey, and India. Fred thinks Turkey particularly promising as a developing area in markets in Western European market. “The country is awash with the water supply, diverse climates and has a decent labour force,” he points out.

High-quality through the variety of selections and sorting

The cultivation of different areas requires certain varieties that work best for specific conditions in the area. “We closely examine which cultivars are suitable for the particular region. Our expert advisory team assists farmers with this.” Club varieties play a larger part in the process. In the case of abbGrowers, for instance, they work in conjunction with the Sekoya breeding program, and has been testing some new American varieties like Gladiator as well as Maverick. “Those seem very promising for flavor longevity, shelf life and crunch” Fred explains.

Alongside variety choice, high-quality products are a top concern in abbGrowers. abbGrowers gets 90percent of its blueberries from large quantities. “If they package the fruits in the country where it was grown and no one is looking at the fruits in the weeks following transport. Sorting it here, we assure the highest quality.” Transportation takes place in an ‘altered atmosphere’ and an absorbent packaging.

Developments in market and certification

Although certification is essential for the blueberry industry but it is not always a good thing. It can create tension within South America. But, the CEO is skeptical it will cause lower exports towards Europe. “South America’s countries require access to the European market and the emphasis on certification is growing elsewhere also, ” he says.

Additionally, European consumption still offers plenty of growth possibilities. “In Europe, in the U.S., people eat approximately 3.5 kg of blueberries per year. In Europe it’s only pounds. The consumption is increasing across Eastern as well as Southern Europe. Fred believes there are possibilities for growth in both the Middle as well as the Far East, too. “India is the only country with 1.8 billion people. Imagine the entire population taking just one berry for breakfast,” he concludes.

Fred Douven

abGrowers

Handelstraat 8

5961 PV Horst

[email protected]

www.abbgrowers.com