StC International has been doing business from Westland, the Netherlands, for three years now. Recently, this greenhouse vegetable brokerage company moved to the BE Fresh offices. Here, the two companies share the air-conditioned warehouse space.
The company markets products cultivated by Dutch growers. Now, they are copying this idea to market Moroccan vegetables too. "We are blazing trails in Morocco. We want to build a brand, step by step," says Jan van der Kaden, StC's Founder and Managing Director (MD).
Team StC at Fruit Logistica
During the winter months, many companies focus on vegetables grown in Spain. However, during this same period of time, StC concentrates mainly on products from Morocco. 'We work together with Moroccan growers. With our Dutch knowledge, it is possible for us to get good products," Jan explains.
"The only challenge is the cultural differences. This difference causes a rift. Other than this, we see very few restrictions. Labor is cheap and cultivation in on par with regard to quality. So, I expect that, within a year, our vegetables will reach the Spanish quality level."
"Harvesting and packaging happens in Morocco. This is done in a very old-fashioned way. We are active on location. So, we can advise the farmers and packing station. They can then develop themselves further in these things," continues Jan.
StC currently gets tomatoes, pointed and block bell peppers from Morocco. They also receive aubergines, courgettes, and beans from this country. Jan does not exclude an expansion into Moroccan fruit. "If producers find us, we will certainly not push them aside. However, we do not buy anything ourselves," he says.
"We connect growers and clients with each other. We like involving the farmers. In this way, they take a active role in the sales process. Our transparency and short chains are our strength. Especially in Morocco this way of working is unusual. However, for us and our growers, it works to our complete satisfaction."
StC has also started brokering Dutch aubergines from its permanent growers, Zwinkels, in Westland: Angela Zwinkels (Zwinkels) and Jan van der Kaden (StC).
Some of StC's current permanent partners can be found on the domestic market. The company, however, also exports products to countries within Europe. "At the moment, a lot of vegetables are still coming to the Netherlands. But we are looking into whether we can send more loads directly to our end-clients," says this company's MD and founder.
According to him, the current Moroccan season is going well. "The cold weather meant that the production volumes were low. But, we are getting more products on this side. The prices for, in particular, tomatoes and bell peppers were relatively high."
"We have noticed that the Russian market is becoming less and less important for Morocco. They are shifting their focus more to Europe. We expect to receive Moroccan products until at least the end of March," Jan concludes.
For more information:
Jan van der Kaden
StC International
+31 (0) 174 752 950
info@stcint.eu
www.stcint.eu