By 2012, the organisation had grown so much that something had to be done. Eric van der Louw was appointed director of Xenia Europe. At that time, the acreage amounted to about 60 to 70 hectares. "I entered into negotiations with various parties in order to establish a strategic plan, with us retaining control on the development of the club concept; that is how the contracts for our service providers came into fruition," explains Eric. The first contracts were signed with Frutura (Austria, Hungary and Slovenia), Maleco (Austria) and Mabo (Germany) Later followed other service providers in countries like France, Croatia, Romania and Bosnia. Xenia Europe is currently in negotiations with parties in the UK and Scandinavia.
Service providers
In each country there is a service provider in charge of both cultivation and marketing. Initially, these organisations sell the fruit grown domestically, but in case of shortages, the Xenia pears are also supplied from other producing countries. Eric: "A plan is prepared beforehand. Germany, for example, can sell 15,000 tonnes. The country has a domestic production amounting to 6,000 tonnes, and the remaining 9,000 tonnes come from the Netherlands. Retailers, for example, can start with German fruit and later in the season switch to the Dutch produce. Several different models are possible. The Netherlands mostly caters to destinations other than the producing countries, including those around the Mediterranean.
Why Xenia?
The origin of the pear is in Moldova, where the Oksana Xenia was introduced in 1968, which was a cross between the Triomphe de Vienne and the Krier. Fruit tree breeder Pieter van Rijn came across the tree during one of his trips. He decided to plant the Xenia at his own plantation in Poland and was so excited about it that he applied for the breeding rights in 2005. In 2008, the first Xenia were planted in the Netherlands.
Xenia is a sweet juicy pear with some special features. For example, the pear can be eaten either hard or soft, it reaches a productivity of 60 to 80 tonnes per hectare and it also has quite a long shelf life. The Xenia can expand the range or replace well-known varieties, such as the Williams, Lucas or Abate. The Xenia, according to Eric, is particularly interesting for markets where taste and shelf life are essential. It has a shelf life of three to four weeks, which is very long compared to the Conference (10-15 days). "The fact that it can be eaten either hard or soft is a major advantage, as in Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Hungary consumers prefer their pears a little harder and greener, while in the Balkans, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France they prefer softer, lighter pears.
The Xenia is a green pear that turns yellow as it ripens. This can also be achieved through artificial ripening. If the market demands more yellow pears, the organisation can then ensure that more of these mature pears enter the distribution channel. This also applies to calibres. While eastern markets demand larger calibres, in the United Kingdom there is a greater demand for smaller sizes.
Cultivation
The Xenia group of growers currently has 57 members. The target for the coming years is to reach 500 hectares. "The first step is 250 hectares in the Netherlands with about 75 growers. We have a rule dictating that growers must plant at least 1 hectare, but with the idea that eventually the variety represents at least 20 to 30% of the total planted acreage. However, we also don't want growers to be completely dependent on the Xenia. Our biggest growers are currently Martijn Vogelaar, of Fruvo, with 10% of his total acreage," says the director. After the harvest, all pears, both from the Netherlands and other producers, are cooled and sorted in one place. The Dutch harvest is currently handled by Fruvo, but in the future there will not be enough space. The intention is to set up a second location in the Betuwe for the cooling and sorting of the pears.
The Xenia marketing season runs from November to mid-July. The organisation is deliberately choosing to stick to this period. "Demand in June, when there are numerous summer fruits available, significantly decreases. We believe that you have to respect nature and we will not pursue obtaining a year-round production," he explains.
Pricing policies
Xenia Europe has set the goal of always trying to achieve the best possible prices for the growers. Eric: "This applies to the entire chain, but the grower must also receive a good income. You cannot guarantee this, but my philosophy is that all costs should be covered, ensuring a minimum percentage. This also applies to the service, cooling and sorting and, of course, the retail, which results in different pricing policies. He states that, for the consumer, whether you want 1.49 or 1.89 Euro for a kilo of pears is irrelevant. The Xenia in Austria, for example, is sold for 2.49 Euro, even though the turnover is similar to that of Albert Heijn, where the pear costs 1.49 Euro. In the Netherlands, it is said too often that prices can be pushed down. I believe that no one, except perhaps the mediators, actually expect that. Consumers generally don't mind paying a little extra in exchange for tasty, better quality products."
Marketing
While in 2012 Xenia pears still mainly reached consumers via Albert Heijn, the marketing is now more divided. Austria, Germany and France are the main markets, with a large part of their production distributed domestically. In Germany and Austria, consumers mostly demand larger, sweeter and juicier pears with a good shelf life, while consumers in France prefer those they are accustomed to. The Xenia, according to Eric, fits all profiles perfectly. Other producing countries are Romania, where the pears mainly stay in the domestic market, and Croatia, which exports the Xenia pears mostly to southern destinations. The UK only keeps small sizes and exports the rest to the continent.
All eyes are now on the countries around the Mediterranean, such as Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon or Algeria. Here are, according to Eric, the greatest opportunities for the coming years. "These countries are becoming politically more stable, with growing prosperity and thus increasing demand for quality fruit, and Xenia pears are perfectly suited for this. We also expect little competition in these markets, where it is necessary to understand the Islamic culture in order to do business. We also have interest in establishing a sales office in Bosnia. Besides the aforementioned countries, there is also interest in Scandinavia, including Denmark, which purchases a percentage of the smaller calibres."
Turkey
Xenia Europe is actively trying to get a foothold in Turkey, where the most consumed pear varieties are the Deveci and Santa Maria. These are somewhat coarser yellow pears with relatively little flavour. The Xenia in that regard really stands out. "Import tariffs, however, are a trickier issue, as they are very high and can be a hindrance. Only when the country's own harvest is sold out, there would be room for the Xenia. This applies to all agricultural products from the EU."
Future outlook
In the coming years, there are a number of priorities for Xenia Europe, with acreage development as a very important part. That is why the organisation plans to offer trees that can meet everyone's expectations. Several nurseries are already breeding Xenia pear trees. The organisation also aims to work exclusively with growers who take the fruit business very seriously and are willing to outsource the marketing, while remaining involved. "All of this with a longer-term vision, which fits our club. I also find it hugely important for the organisation not to fully depend on anything or anyone. Regardless of boycotts, bad weather or economic problems, we must be able to keep going at all times."
More information:
eric@xenia-eu.eu
www.xenia-peer.eu