Over the past couple of years Agrexco has invested heavily in developing an internet software system which links all of its growers to a single database. The software enables all growers to send daily online reports to all Agrexco inspection and control systems which are then transmitted to all growers, branches and customers.
Growers also receive lab results of produce before harvesting, within a few hours, to ensure the herbs are free from pesticide traces, along with quality control tests from a central transit station.
With such a sophisticated system, every field activity becomes transparent and accessible by all parties. “We are not hiding anything,” says Agrexco herbs product manager Bezalel Madmon. “We have developed a unique system in Agrexco which means all the procedures, all the requirements, all the protocol - everything the growers are doing - is immediately updated by the internet website, giving online traceability.”
Accessing the information could not be simpler, Madmon claims. “The customer just needs to have a password to the website traceability code and he can get the history of a box from any plot for the last four years.”
With each grower having more than 100 plots, the company has thousands of sites to process, which highlights the need for such an efficient system. Last year Agrexco’s 114 affiliated herb growers marketed 5,200 tonnes of 30 different types of herbs. And, according to Madmon, in the last three months the market has seen a growth of almost 20 per cent, which means he is expecting to export some 7,200t of fresh herbs this season. The UK market will receive around 2,200t of these sendings, with demand steadily increasing right across the product range, he says.
The system’s instant traceability allows the customer to command the entire process from plot selection to the delivery of the herbs, as well as registering feedback on all aspects of the supply chain.
According to Anna Meller, grower and chair of Agrexco’s herb growers, rejection can be very disheartening, not to mention economically damaging, but having access to reasons for any complaints enables growers to make rapid improvements and more informed decisions when implementing new growing or packaging techniques.
Meller operates 120 hectares of production. Basil, chive and rockolla account for around 60-65 per cent of the total and the rest is devoted to smaller yields of other varieties, including mint and lemon thyme.
“Last year we reduced overall rejection claims by 50 per cent,” says Madmon. “We looked at thousands of plots, at the variety, area, density and age and we found a connection between the age of plants and sensitivity to disease so now we change plants after three to four months.”
Basil receives the most complaints because of its limited shelf-life and high sensitivity to changes in temperature, Meller says. For this reason, she keeps control samples of all basil sendings to chart their status after supplying them with optimum conditions.
Growers have been trying hard to develop longer-lasting strains of basil for the last few years. “Sweet basil lasts about 10-12 days from harvest so we are looking to improve this by at least 30 per cent and produce something which lasts 12-16 days which still keeps a good aroma and flavour,” says Madmon.
Unlike the majority of varieties which are best suited to temperatures as low as 2-4°C, Basil ideally needs to be kept at 10°C. Madmon claims that people further along the supply chain, especially the end users, have not been sufficiently informed of this, so growers have been trying to eliminate the problem altogether.
“For the last few years Agrexco has been investing in producing basil which is resistant to low temperatures. Post-harvest, it should be kept at 10-12°C but it is often kept in refrigeration with all other herbs. After two to three years of investment we have something which is resistant to 8°C but it’s not enough and I hope after another two years we will produce basil which is resistant to 6°C.”
“Temperature management is a big issue for us,” Agrexco’s UK herbs product manager, Michael Caddy agrees. “We have also developed a temperature control system for the cool chain trucks used to collect the herbs and bring them to the central depot.” Using Motorola technology, the central depot which receives the herbs before exportation is able to track the temperature of the truck wherever it is, and if it exceeds the specifications, the delivery will not be accepted, he says.
Working with nature is a high priority for Agrexco, Madmon claims. And while most of Europe is using controlled atmospheric conditions in packaging herbs, Agrexco has introduced bags which, containing oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapour, allow the plants to modify the atmosphere to the most suitable condition for themselves.
Since herbs have not been considered a principal product line encouraging investment has not been easy, Meller claims. However, she has recently spent large sums of her own money on a new packing site, which she shares with four other growers. While each grower operates his or her own discreet business, they co-ordinate their deliveries to use the same trucks. In this way they take advantage of the benefits of a cooperative style of business but are still free to develop their techniques and products on an individual basis, she says.
Different markets are always demanding new varieties, according to Madmon, and having a multi-cultural workforce enables Agrexco to pool its inspirations in devising new products. One such example is a line of mint which differs in taste from the kind seen in the UK. It is enjoyed by Moroccans for use in tea, Madmon says, and he is hoping to launch it commercially next winter. Given its crown-like shape he has suggested calling it ‘The Queen of Sheba’. While consumption of fresh herbal teas is still very low in the UK, Caddy believes this could be a viable area for expansion within the near future, if people were made more aware of their potential.
Co-ordinating the production of herbs is very difficult owing to the volumes produced and processed on a daily basis, the number of growers and the specific temperatures required by each different crop, says Agrexco’s UK general manager Amos Orr. As such it proved an ideal starting place for the use of such a highly integrated internet system.
The software was originally developed for grower Tachi Mordechay by his brother Moti Mordechay. Agrexco’s herb technical manager, Menashe Carmei, considered it would be appropriate for all growers and the company enlisted Moti Mordechay’s help to make it applicable to the entire grower base, aiming to cover all aspects of production and eliminate the possibility of error.
With regards to pesticide use, for example, Meller says she must justify every spraying decision, entering the exact time and date of use, temperature and wind speed before the system will generate a report to be signed off, informing her of the permissible products to use, the person authorised to carry out the application, and the exact time at which the crop can once more be considered for harvest.
At the moment all boxes from one plot are marked with the same identification number which means deliveries are traceable as far back as a single plot. However, Madmon has plans to increase specificity even further. “In the future we would like to see a system where every box has its own traceability ID,” he says. “In addition, not only is he planning to develop a system which allows customers to track their impending orders before delivery, but also one which will ultimately make his role seemingly redundant.
Madmon is responsible for coordinating the orders he receives by SMS text message and allocating a percentage of the crops from all available growers. However, the next step of his plans will allow customers to key in orders on the website which will be received by nominated growers, by SMS, allowing them to respond from any location.
Harnessing technology to drive the business forward is continuing at a rapid pace, according to Caddy. Since last November, thanks to the lease of two unique and highly advanced refrigerated reefers, Agrexco has been able to ship a considerable amount of herb exports to Europe. “Some of the harder varieties, such as rosemary, thyme and chives can last around 24 days and lend themselves very well to shipping.” This method also eliminates the fluctuations which can occur with air freight, he adds.
With the UK receiving around 35 per cent of the exports it has become a very important market for the company, according to Caddy. The company’s export growth during the summer months has been particularly surprising, he continues, since Israeli supplies would be expected to face stiff competition from UK produce during June and July.
While reacting to consumer demand is fundamental, it is also Agrexco’s aim to pioneer new products and influence future preferences, he says. One of his latest projects is a product known as sea asparagus or Salacornia, as featured on freshinfo.com earlier this month.
Orr discovered the plant during a visit to South America and it is now being produced by two growers in Israel. The company’s target is to produce 1,000kg over the next year and it is in the process of sending samples to various suppliers. Caddy says it is also being trialled by farmers on the Norfolk coast, but they have not yet found a market for it. The herb which is thin and crunchy, has a delicate salty flavour and according to Caddy would make an ideal bar snack, as well as a tasty accompaniment to chicken and fish recipes.
Since the food service industry has developed such a powerful influence over food consumption, the best way to succeed with such a novel product would be to secure interest from one of its major players, says Caddy. “If Prêt à Manger is using basil in their sandwiches, consumption can easily go up by 500kg a week. If we could find a way of pushing this (sea asparagus) in somewhere like Wagamama I think we could do really well with it.”
Consumer preference for herbs is determined by availability, Caddy suggests. As such, with a little education and clarity from the supermarkets’ point of sale design, consumption would definitely increase, he says. Chervil, proved very popular as Sainsbury’s herb of the month in February, and oregano could make a come back if breeders managed to develop a variety resistant to blackening upon handling. In addition, Caddy believes some herbs which are not suitable eating varieties, such as a burgundy-coloured Yemenite lemon grass, could make an attractive feature of the potted plants category.
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