Russian embargo puts pressure on Fruitmasters' result

The Cooperation Royal Fruitmasters Group U.A. presented its figures on 2014 during the General Members' meeting on Thursday April 23. 2014 was a year of extremes. Fruitmasters looks back at a good and satisfying season for the product groups soft fruit and wood fruit. For stonefruit it was a difficult season due to the weather and the constantly growing effect of the Suzuki fruit fly. The top fruit season 2014/2015 started with a full harvest. Due to the Russian embargo the European market was too full of product that normally would have been exported to the Russian federation. The embargo put pressure on our members' results and therefore on Fruitmasters' company result: on one side due to the lower years and on the other due to extra costs, made to facilitate the members in taking part in the emergency funds. The turnover therefore decreased by 8%. Despite this Fruitmasters realised a company result for depreciation (EBITDA) of €3.9 million and a net result of €38,000.

The last year was central in the theme of growth in area and volume and growth in the central service supplying. Under the motto 'working on renewal' Fruitmasters invested in innovation, sustainability and in the development of new and existing sales markets.

Autonomous growth
The members volume grew by 35% compared to 2014 due to the large harvest and in the increase in new area. There was also a strong increase in demand for the central services: storage, sorting and packaging of product. Because the growers used these Fruitmasters' core activities, they were better able to concentrate on the cultivation.

Innovation and efficiency
Fruitmasters invested in sustainability in 2015, in which innovation and efficiency were a the forefront. A water purification installation was purchased which saves 75% of the water and reduces the operational costs. The conversion of the cooling houses by using environmentally friendly ammonia was also invested in in 2014. This produces a higher efficiency as the use of energy reduces by 15%. The energy used at Fruitmasters is 100% green electricity. The sustainable measures contribute to less energy being needed.

Working on renewing
Developing concept varieties is an important pillar in the sales organisation. The concept apple Kanzi® celebrated its 10th birthday and the new concept pear was positively received, the planned plantation for the next year shows. The organisation is also focussing on renewal in other product groups, for instance in the development on strawberry through carriers.

In 2014 Fruitmasters entered new sales markets such as China and now the cooperation has market access to Brazil and Canada. Fruitmasters developed a packaging with a strong Dutch image to define themselves in these faraway destinations.