AGF Direct trading cauliflower, broccoli and witlof in Benelux for a year

The trade of open field vegetables has been taught to Dennis van Tricht since childhood. Last year he got talking with some producers of cauliflower, broccoli, and witlof, and they have given him the complete trust of selling their product exclusively. This week, AGF Direct celebrates its first birthday. “I always go to the customers together with the producers. We are really working together and we can offer our clients everything we have, because of the acreage that is behind the business.” 

“I have shown my ideas to several growers about the way that I look at the market. As a service provider, it is my task to make the distance between client and source smaller. We are independent and we are trying very hard to switch smoothly and clearly between producers and clients, continually searching for the best win-win situation for both parties. These ideas were agreeable to the growers and by now, I have sold, in the first year, the production of about 130 hectares of witlof, 12 hectares of cauliflowers, and more than 100 hectares of broccoli, supplemented with other open field vegetables.” 

“I am completely focused on the Benelux market and I am not doing any export. It is my vision that export is something completely different; we are better equipped for the national market. For now, the retail is our largest market, but the sales to exporters have been increasing. The exporters are selling and we have to fix their problems,” says Dennis, who has an office on the wholesalers market in Zwaagdijk, the cradle of the open field vegetables trade. 

Dennis cannot complain about the start-up year. “The cauliflower was during the past year more expensive than ever. On the local fair I got the remark that is was a great year to get started. And, of course, I have benefited from it. In the trade, we often say: without any problems, you have a problem. This year, however, there were so many production problems that a demand market arose. I am mainly proud of the fact that we could show ourselves from the best side and that we could supply our clients with quality products.”

“Even for the witlof, where the market was more difficult, we managed to get some contacts in various supermarkets. Our producer had added an extra cell in September. You would not do that if you were not happy with the results. We are launching into our second year with good spirits. We do not really want to become a very big company, but we want to be the best for our producers and customers. For the next year, the necessary innovations have been planned. For example, we want to do more with the stem and leaves of broccoli. Ideas enough!”