A South African fruit marketer has developed a new concept that sees companies buying and marketing a fruit tree’s entire yield - across all grades.
According to the company, the “Whole Tree Concept” allows one marketer who is targeting both local and export markets to take control of the whole crop - making the job much easier for both buyer and seller.
Under the concept, a company buys and markets the entire harvest from individual trees - from EU1, RSA 1, RSA2 to juicing and hawking.
Some 100 of the company’s EurepGap and HACCAP-accredited suppliers of tropical, stone, pomme, citrus and exotic fruits are already benefiting from the concept, the company said.
Fresh Connect has also established a special division aimed at working with, and developing, growers’ own skills by guiding them towards meeting higher accreditation levels.
Tony Brinsford, Fresh Connect md says: “Our relationship with growers is based on maximising their returns because, without them, we can’t be in business. That’s why we developed the Whole Tree concept. Fresh produce marketers should add value to the business of growers. It’s in their long-term interests.”
