I
n its first year of business, UFSA Fresh has already made a name for itself in the international fruit industry. As the exclusive marketing partner of the Spanish export company Delifresh, the young fruit agency not only serves major customers in Vienna and the surrounding area, but also throughout Austria and in neighboring Germany. Especially on the latter sales market, Managing Director Ufuk Sahin (right) sees interesting growth potential.
In March 2022, Sahin, who previously worked in purchasing and sales at Petryk & Sahin, his brother's company based at Vienna's wholesale market, decided to take the plunge into self-employment. "I had already been working closely with Delifresh for several years and they were still looking for a marketing partner for the German-speaking market. From this basis, a partnership then developed in which I see myself as a link between the producer and the buyer in the DACH area. Through this direct procurement of goods without intermediaries, the goods pass through the entire chain within three days, from the field to the retailer, which not only guarantees unbeatable quality and freshness, but also contributes to the minimal complaint rate of two percent."
Turkish tomatoes are part of the basic assortment.
Growth potential on the German market
Sahin, who also operates a market stall in Vienna's city center, has already been able to build up a loyal customer base of bulk buyers throughout Austria. "We are now looking to gain a foothold in neighboring Germany as well. We have already been able to acquire two customers for us, but the growth potential is huge. In view of Vienna's central location in the heart of Europe, we also see opportunities in the future to act as a Delifresh contact for other European markets, such as Scandinavia. But that's all still up in the air."
Seedless watermelons from Spain from exclusive supplier Delifresh.
Start of the melon and stone fruit season
In week 15, the first Spanish melons could be loaded. "Although we can fall back on the entire melon range, be it water melons, honey melons or cantaloupe melons, larger quantities will not be available until week 17 due to the slightly delayed start of the season. The first Spanish nectarines and peaches will also be loaded soon," says Sahin, who buys the majority of his additional assortment through Petryk & Sahin.
In addition, UFSA Fresh offers a wide selection of fruit vegetables, both from the Spanish growing region of Almería and from Turkey. Sahin: "At the beginning of week 16, vegetable prices were still relatively high, but currently we are observing slight price reductions. As soon as the Dutch and Belgian greenhouse season really picks up speed, we will probably see further price reductions. A similar drop is expected to occur in fruit from May onwards, as soon as larger volumes hit the market. In general, price jumps have been very extreme so far."
Images: UFSA Fresh Import-Export
Further information:
Ufuk Sahin
UFSA Fresh Import-Export
T: +43 660 1905881
office@ufsa.at
oesterreich@delifresh.es
https://delifresh.es/index.php?lang=de