Moroccan products seem to be a good alternative to Spanish and Italian vegetables in the winter months. More and more Moroccan product is entering the EU in Spain and France. The EU import from Morocco has significantly increased in the past ten years (+51%). Two Dutch companies active in Morocco tell about their experiences.
Adviser Gerard Derksen sees Morocco getting crowded. "The land is suitable, the soil is suitable, and the people want to work. I expect it will only increase more." He is on his way to his next job in Morocco. He meets lots of peers from the sector, from the Netherlands, but also Spaniards, Englishmen, and Moroccans are working hard to set-up cultivation companies to serve the European market. "This has one disadvantage: a higher demand means that the land price increases. Not just in Morocco, by the way, Dutch companies are active in more North African countries."
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This is because almost all products can be grown there: citrus, avocado, all kinds of vegetables and soft fruit. Products are transported to Europe per truck or boat. Gerard: "Most transport, certainly of all fresh product, is done by trucks. These are transported by boat via Tangier to Spain, and from there to the rest of Europe. Products that can keep a bit longer, such as potatoes, onions, and citrus for example, are also being transported by sea container, loaded in the port of Agadir to Rotterdam or Antwerp."
The climate in Morocco is well suited to grow vegetables in the winter months connecting to the European season. Even Spanish companies have crossed over to Africa. "In recent years, Spain has had failed harvests because of climate change. Because the volume yields per hectare are not met, the cost price is under pressure, and it also became difficult to meet contractual agreements. Via Spain, more and more Moroccan product is entering the European Market. In that situation, it is better to operate out of Morocco, and at least remove that link."
The wish for year round supply of product is also a reason for companies to go to Morocco. Gerard: "The trend is that trading companies want to supply all products year round, and so it has to be available somewhere. In Morocco, it is possible to almost grow year round. Only in the hot summer months it is difficult to grow vegetables. Because of the beneficial circumstances the production in Morocco can adjust to the production in the Netherlands."
Build up and handover
Besides the cultivation technical part it is, in spite of the cultural difference, possible to start a professional, profitable company in Morocco. With patience and energy, is the experience of Gerard. In Morocco he built a cultivation company for green beans and string beans, including packing station. These are directly transported to the Netherlands, and marketed from there. Last October, he handed over the management to local people.
"I work in commission of Dutch companies, and I am into building and setting up. As soon as the company is running well and is profitable, I hand it over. I have now started a second job, the cultivation of asparagus. Now the Dutch season has started, activity is low for the time being. I also work on a cultivation company for soft fruit: strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries."
The cultural differences can be bridged. Gerard: "Outside of Europe, everything is a bit more complicated of course, but if you know the right way you can obtain the required certificates and traceability required to supply to the European market, you can obtain BRC, Global Gap, HACCP. Three years ago it was still pioneering, but now I have good knowledge of how things work, and you first have to know the local people and institutes."
StC established the first contacts in Morocco. The concept to market the product of Dutch growers, is copied by the company in Morocco. Jan van der Kaden: "It is every time a challenge to find the right people but luckily we know now how to do it and how not to do it. Cultural differences are large. In Morocco, they still grow and package in the old fashioned way. We can guide them in this."
Soon also melons
The step to pioneer in Morocco stems from the consumer's wish for transparency, who want to know where the product is coming from and want to buy from the source. We want to offer product year round supplied by our own growers. We also have the ambition to couple more growers with Dutch product with StC International. As intermediary, the StC is the discussion partner for the markets for Moroccan and Dutch vegetables in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Germany, the Baltic States, and East-Europe.
StC does not only mediate, it is also present on site to advise growers on how to plan their production, which was previously mostly sold locally to the surrounding countries. Now they have to grow for export and according to the norms and requirements of the European market. Depending on the wish of the customer, (beefsteak) tomatoes, pointed and block bell peppers, eggplants, (white) courgettes, and beans are grown In Morocco. Jan: "So far, the focus is on vegetables but soon we are starting growing melons. We want to grow what the customer wants."
Into the kitchen
The harvest is packaged in Morocco. StC also gives warehouse advice, so they can develop in this aspect. We like to take the grower into the kitchen so they will be involved in the sales process. The short chain and our transparency are our strength. Particularly in Morocco, this way of working is unusual, but for us and our growers it works to full satisfaction. We want to do it in the Dutch way, remuneration has to be in order, but also the housing of the employees and the schooling for their children. Good people are the success of the company. Only if everything is right, you can offer added value, both towards the growers as towards the customer."
For more information:
info@stcint.eu
gerard@derksenretailorganisatie.nl