Although the volume of exports has increased significantly in recent years, the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector is going through times of austerity, with increasingly tight profit margins for almost all links in the value chain, from agricultural producer to the shipper and trader.
“It is becoming more and more difficult to find drivers, since salaries are not a motivation to choose this job, as they don't compensate you for spending your life away from home. The logistics sector continues doing its best to offer services in an increasingly competitive market,” says David Mostert, commercial director of the transport company Betrex España.
“The competition between the big distribution chains, which have more and more control over this sector, is leading to the price being more important than the quality of what they buy. Many small and medium-sized transport companies, as well as producers and marketers with revenues not exceeding 4 million Euro, continue to go bankrupt each year and only the largest survive and become even larger. It's a difficult time for small businesses to make heavy investments,” says the commercial director of this Spanish-Dutch company.
The urgent need to make the world more sustainable must also be born in mind. In response to this, the Silla-Rotterdam train route has been created; however, its use has been hampered by the lack of continuity in the service. "At Betrex we have worked with it because we believe that it is an alternative that is much more sustainable and good for the planet. We hope that over time these problems that hinder the service will be solved and that we'll be able to use it effectively in our transport. For now, it cannot compete with road transport, either in terms of price, or (even less) in terms of flexibility," says David Mostert.
Regarding the impact of the weather conditions in the Spanish Levant and the protests of producers across the country in recent months, David says that his business has managed to maintain its stability. “We have not noticed any changes due to these events; the volume of traffic has remained the same. We have continued loading. In the end, people need to keep eating and, therefore, purchases and sales continue.”
Based in the municipality of Gandía, in Valencia, Betrex operates with producing and exporting companies throughout Spain. When the citrus and vegetable campaign (the most important in terms of volume) comes to a close in autumn and winter, it moves on to the stone, melon and watermelon campaigns in summer, continuing then with other products, such as potatoes, onions and garlic.
"It is true that in the summer, the fruit and vegetable sector sees a slowdown in its activity, but during that period we also transport non-perishable products, which account for 20% of the total volume of our business, so the flow is maintained," says David Mostert.
Betrex, which recently turned 30, is specialized in shipments to Belgium, the Netherlands and France. However, its next step will be to expand and diversify little by little in Eastern countries. "We are looking for a team to handle the opening of channels in Poland, a country close to others in Eastern Europe and, therefore, interesting as a point for the redistribution of goods to those markets."
“We have more than 30 years of experience, handling everything from full loads to groupage, and with people who are familiar with the market. We aim to offer our customers a complete solution and a personal service, at any time and for every problem that may arise,” says David Mostert.
For more information:
David Mostert
BETREX
(+34) 96.287.80.80
+34 628 862 966
dmostert@betrex.es
www.betrex.es