The Turkish company, Dilbaz, exports produce through its German subsidiary D&G. The company mainly deals in cherries, apricots, figs, grapes and pomegranates. “D&G acts as our distribution company. We deliver Turkish produce directly from local growers, without the need for any intermediary sellers. Our supply chain goes from the growers to Dilbaz to D&G and then onward to our customers,” explains Cevat of Dilbaz. 70% to 80% of the customer base of Dilbaz are German wholesalers and retailers. While the company does carry the GlobalGAP certificate for fruit, it prepares also the GlobalGAP label for vegetables. “Our vegetables are mainly meant for our Turkish customers abroad and not really for regular supermarket chains. The reason for the lack of a GlobalGAP certificate is that the Turkish vegetable sector is fragmented.
Grower cooperatives or other organizations are not widespread, which results in a lack of market balance in prices and supply. To avoid the volatility of market, we are cooperating with bigger producers in order to get a consistent quality and a stable supply.”
The cherry season has only just begun for Dilbaz. The company trades in the harder cherry varieties, such as Napoleon. The company aims to export its first truck in week 23.
“Last year was a productive season. We had a huge sales volume, in Europe as well. There were less volumes from European suppliers on the market, which let us sell more from Turkey. Our sales volume stood at a ten year record."
Cevat defines performance of a trade company in terms of quality and continuity. “We aim for high quality, not quantity. We refuse to export bad produce. This is why we only supply Napoleon cherries, instead of many other varieties, which have mostly shorter shelf life and lower qualities.
The company is set to invest in machinery and in a packaging line that supports a new type of punnet. “We’re working with MAP, otherwise known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging. This could lead to an increase in volume. We’re doing this both at the request of our customers, but also to become more competitive. Due to the distance to the market, we are using different packaging technologies to gain a competitive edge in terms of quality and shelf life.”
According to Cevat, consumer behavior has become more focused on quality. “It’s the most important aspect that our customers are looking for. Now if the market situation turns out to be difficult, we’d be forced to compete on price. However, cherries usually aren’t seeing a difficult market. Cherries are quite popular during German summers. Its consumers range from young children to the eldery. It’s inherently a more expensive product, which means that quality will always be its primary attribute.”
Turkish producers have high expectations of the coming cherry season, as the price level of last year was higher than average. However, Cevat reckons that the price levels are going to slightly drop. “Prices at the beginning of the season are always higher. They are going to diminish as the season goes along.”
In the end, quality can only be an influential factor on the market if it’s properly recognized by consumers. “Consumers need to see the difference between good and bad quality. They need to be aware of what good quality actually entails. It’s a good thing they can immediately see the country of origin on the packaging.”
For more information:
Cevat Dilbaz
Dilbaz
Tel: 0049-702172542513
Email: [email protected]
www.dilbaz.com.tr