Yesterday, in Belgium, BelOrta and BFV's (Belgische Fruitveiling) Boards of Directors approved a letter of intent focusing on closer cooperation and integration.
The first exploratory discussions were held in 2021 and deepened in recent months. Yesterday's letter of intent has made these talks official. These two Belgian cooperatives are joining forces to achieve even greater strength and cost-efficiency. This evolution will benefit both growers (getting the best possible market price) and customers (excellent service).
"Signing this note of intent is an important milestone," say Philippe Appeltans (Director BelOrta) and Marc Grauwels (General Manager BFV). "It strengthens our position as the leading provider of locally and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables. We do so for the local market and more than 70 export markets worldwide."
"Together, we count more than 1,400 active grower-ambassadors, spread throughout Belgium and the Dutch border region. We can now jointly structure our core idea - from, for, and by growers - even better."
Ludo Lousbergh and Dirk Bertels, respectively chairmen of BFV and BelOrta, add, "Our producers face huge challenges regarding profitability, cost control, sustainability, innovation, and digitalization, among other things. Our discussions quickly revealed shared long-term visions."
"Also, we already have many similarities in terms of corporate culture and values. These similarities strengthen our conviction that we can move to intensive cooperation. This is an important step for further developing the fruit sector."
The next dialogue phase will focus on concrete initiatives arising from signing this declaration of intent. More information will follow as soon as all these specifics have been discussed.
BelOrta
BelOrta has three operational locations in Belgium. It is run by, for, and from more than 950 local fruit and vegetable growers. Together, they provide an annual assortment of 170+ varieties of vegetables, fruits, and herbs - always locally grown and full of flavor. In 2021, BelOrta achieved a record product turnover of €497 million.
Belgische Fruitveiling
Belgische Fruitveiling, too, has three operational branches in Belgium. This Belgian cooperative has 470 local affiliated fruit growers. Every year, they provide an extensive, tasty range of locally grown top and soft fruit. In 2021, BFV realized a product turnover of €95 million.