Though TOFF is especially big in organic greenhouse production, this Dutch company is starting to import a significant volume of overseas organic fruit and exotics too.
Owner Jeffrey Moret and buyers Dane Dokman and Wouter Andeweg preview the overseas season in this interview.
"We specialize in different areas. That's the only way to be a real total supplier," begins Jeffrey.
"This week, we begin the new overseas pear season with the first containers of Williams from Argentina. We start with several containers of Williams and then get Packham and D'Anjou pears in until mid-August; in between, we also get Argentine Abate Fetel pears. We offer overseas pears until the first Italian ones return to the market. This year's Argentine pear crop is fairly successful, so we can prioritize quality products."
"Since there are still organic Dutch pears in our group, too, we're trying to lengthen the season as much as possible. Unfortunately, some importers have been importing organic pears for several weeks. So, we decided to start now anyway, so as not to miss any sales towards the summer," Jeffrey says. TOFF markets the pears to retailers and day traders. "We can also pack the pears in, say, 500g biodegradable packaging."
The importer will get their first container of organic avocadoes from Brazil next week. "We're doing that mainly to shrink the gap between Spain and Kenya. Brazil has avocados on the market a week earlier than Kenya," explains Dane. TOFF receives weekly containers from Kenya until August. "There's currently a big shortage in the market with only Peruvian and some Greek avocados. The Spanish season is completely over, so we just have to wait for Brazil and Kenya."
"Most of the Kenyan avocado supply will be sizes 18-26. That country has made great strides recently since the government began controlling quality and specifications much more strictly. That used to be very problematic, causing customers to quickly choose avocados from Peru or Mexico. Many clients now return to the African product," Jeffrey continues.
Organic mangoes
For organic mangoes, TOFF has started with the African season. "We began with Burkina Faso and will continue the season with organic mangoes from Ivory Coast, Dominican Republic, and Senegal. We also carry Israeli mangoes allowing us to guarantee continuous, good availability," adds Wouter.
There was a surplus on the mango market earlier in the year, but, says Wouter, that market has since picked up well. "There's not much supply at present. There seems to be some more coming from Africa, though. We're lucky to have good suppliers, so we can provide good quality. We, thus, have mango retail programs in places like Germany and Scandinavia."
Organic ginger volumes, as predicted
Last but not least: TOFF is in the last months of the 2022 ginger season. "There's generally a significant shortage in both the conventional and organic markets. Yet, thanks to our reliable suppliers, that hasn't affected us, and we're still getting the predicted large volumes. The ginger has a stable quality. There are usually more issues with that in May-June. Then we trim all the ginger to still be able to deliver an A product to retailers. Peru should have a new crop of organic ginger from the end of June," says Dane.
According to Jeffrey, despite the current economic situation, the organic market is in a good mood. "Consumers are again increasingly buying more organic; that's good. There are other stories, but those don't apply to us. Our first quarter went better than last year, even with mostly the same buyers," he concludes.
For more information:
Jeffrey Moret
TOFF
Tel: +31 (0) 850 704 572
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.toffbv.nl
