On May 1, 2024, Jari van Langen founded Veg-Europe. A year later, he has no regrets about becoming self-employed. Veg-Europe focuses on exporting field and greenhouse vegetables, with France as its primary destination. "I lived in France for eight years because my parents had a dairy farm there. So I speak the language and understand the culture, which is a significant advantage in trade."
"I am currently concentrating mainly on sales to wholesalers and catering suppliers, with some additional sales to slicers. I hope to further expand my French customer base in the near future, but my ambitions extend beyond that. I have now taken the first steps towards exporting to the Scandinavian countries and eventually aim to serve customers across Europe," Jari explains.
"The majority of my exports consist of outdoor-grown produce such as cabbage, carrots, iceberg lettuce, and Chinese cabbage, as well as greenhouse vegetables like peppers and tomatoes. I source most of the produce directly from Dutch growers and supplement it with purchases from cooperatives and trading companies," Jari says. For now, he focuses exclusively on Dutch produce. "France is closer to Spain than we are, so importing doesn't make much sense for me at the moment, but who knows what the future holds?"
"The biggest challenge I face is setting the right price, but that's something everyone deals with. France is a price-sensitive market, so having the right contacts is crucial," Jari notes. Over the past year, he has encountered a few issues with product availability. "Cabbage is scarce at the moment, so there is strong demand for it. I also sell a lot of loose round tomatoes, and demand for Dutch peppers is steady."
When asked about his plans for the coming years, the exporter responds, "For now, I don't have any ambitions to hire colleagues, but I would like to see steady growth in the coming years. After all, standing still is going backwards. I have already managed to establish some good trade over the past year and look to the future with confidence."
For more information:
J
ari van Langen
Veg-Europe
Tel: +31 (0) 6 10519 999
[email protected]
www.veg-europe.com