The manager of the Horticultural Traders Association of Andalusia (Ecohal), Alfonso Zamora, and COAG's sector's head, Andrés Góngora, have revealed the pressure on the fruit and vegetable sector that certain large distribution chains are applying so that they use reusable plastic containers of a higher cost than other alternatives that are widely used.
Alfonso Zamora expressed that the producers aren't against the use of reusable plastic packaging from the Ifco or Euro Pool System companies but that they are against it being an imposition, especially when they are more expensive than those made out of cardboard or other materials with similar characteristics.
For his part, Andrés Góngora, has highlighted that there is a certain fear among fruit and vegetable companies to speak about this situation, due to the possible reprisals by the distribution, since 80% of the sales of many agricultural producers and traders is to major operators.
According to Gongora, it is understandable that there are specific measures required for the packaging formats that suit the assortment, circuits and store guidelines; but, he adds, the problem is that they require the use of certain supplier (the aforementioned Ifco or Euro Pool System).
These packaging companies operate under a rental system, which involves the payment of a security fee in case of loss or damage, plus a bank guarantee, all coupled with an annual commitment of orders depending on the customer's billing.
Some horticultural companies have offered these supply chains identical systems of plastic containers but have been told that they have to use the specific brands they were asked to use.
According to Gongora, that answer is what makes them suspicions of a possible link between the reusable plastic packaging and retail pools.
Source: hortoinfo
