Netherlands-based fresh produce group The Greenery has announced it is moving forward to implement its new cooperation model after the revised structure, giving growers a choice in how their products are marketed, was approved by its member council.
The group said the cooperative, which is being positioned as a separate entity to The Greenery, would bring added value to individual members and enable combined supply.
In a statement, The Greenery said that its new approach would enhance its added value strategy while creating more room for growers to define their own style of modern entrepreneurship within the cooperative.
The new cooperation model, it said, was “a response to market changes for both growers and customers” that offered growers “clear choices” in the way in which their products were marketed.
Under the plans, the company and the cooperative are being separated and positioned individually. The cooperative aims to remain a growers’ association that offers members a wide range of services and acts as a platform for combining supply.
As a separate company, The Greenery will operate as an international commercial enterprise with direct and exclusive access to production.
The company said it would offer growers the opportunity to choose how they want to work with the group and how the value of their product will be developed.
Growers will be given the option of intensifying their relationship with The Greenery and entering into a partnership that involves working more closely in commercial strategy, marketing and logistics.
“As a market leader, we are constantly developing and by taking this step forward, we aim to intensify our relationship with preferred suppliers, thus strengthening our position in retail,” Philip Smits, managing director of The Greenery said at the time of the initial announcement of the plans in September.
“Having growers as exclusive preferred suppliers means a stronger focus on such services as supply chain management, shorter supply chains and category management.”
Two new forms of partnership are set to be introduced under the plans: a transaction relationship and an auction relationship.
The transaction relationship gives growers the freedom to choose to develop their own sales policy targeting the Dutch wholesale market and Dutch exporters. An auction relationship means that their products will be sold by Dutch clock auction.
The growers can make use of the services that The Greenery offers, based on the form of cooperation they choose. In all cases, The Greenery will continue to serve the national and international retail market as a supply chain specialist and experienced service provider.
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