This week, VLAM, together with several Flemish export companies in potatoes, vegetables, and fruit, visited Norway. This marks the first step in a three-year EU campaign targeting Norway and the UK, launched by VLAM. "On Monday, we visited several Norwegian retailers and traders, followed by participation in UMAMI, the largest food fair in Norway, from Tuesday to Thursday," said Gert Van Causenbroeck, VLAM's Export Manager.
"They were successful days," confirmed Geert Koyen of Coöperatie Hoogstraten and Wout Roovers of Den Berk Délice, among others. Alongside them, BelOrta, REO, Rotom Tomatoes, Nicolai Fruit & Vegetables, De Aardappelhoeve, and Vanderhaegen Potatoes were also present during the visit. "There was already a first trade mission to Norway last year, which focused on strawberries," Gert explains. "That led us to draft a proposal, from which a three-year campaign was developed targeting the UK and Norway. It includes promotions in trade magazines, participation in trade fairs, and plans to invite Norwegian and British journalists to Flanders to learn about not only the potato sector but also the fruit and vegetable sectors. These are two distinct sectors for VLAM, but we try to coordinate our actions as much as possible. Both sectors often deal with the same buyers, and this approach allows companies to enter the market together and learn from one another."
Potential not yet fully exploited
The UK and Norwegian markets were specifically chosen because they are outside the EU, which also aligned with a European proposal to develop a campaign targeting them. "Moreover, as Flanders, we haven't yet fully tapped into the potential of these markets," Gert continues. He sees considerable opportunity in the Scandinavian country. "Both in food service and retail. In fruit and vegetables, there is already a market for strawberries, tomatoes, and Conference pears, which are already available on shelves. Still, we believe there's room to expand further. Additionally, for products like leeks, asparagus, and chicory, we see the potential to grow more than we currently do."
"In the case of potatoes, however, it's still very much a prospecting market. So for companies specializing in potato products, this visit was more of a fact-finding mission. They had the chance to speak with the country's largest retailer and assess potential within Norway's food service sector. Fresh fries and purée products in particular appeared to offer promising opportunities."
Overall, the week was viewed positively. "The companies reported having had high-quality conversations. Norway is obviously not a large market, but we see plenty of opportunities to generate additional sales."
Moroccan production enables year-round partnership
This sentiment is shared by Geert Koyen, who was present on behalf of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. "We made interesting contacts. Of course, we've been supplying tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries here for some time, but it was a valuable experience to get better acquainted and attend the fair. On the first day, we visited various shops and companies to get a feel for how things operate here, particularly in terms of how the fruit and vegetable shelves are managed. We also had a warm welcome from BAMA, one of the major players in the fresh produce sector, which was very insightful. Norway may no longer be a blind spot for us, but it's not yet a fully developed market either, so we definitely see areas where we can still grow."
Wout Roovers of Den Berk Délice agrees. "The UMAMI fair itself was more hospitality-focused, so not entirely our target audience, but the company visits on Monday provided a great insight into the Norwegian fresh produce sector. It was very informative. We're already active in retail in Norway with our Miss Perfect tomatoes, so it was nice to show our fellow exporters how our brand is represented. I also used the opportunity to visit some of our existing customers. Especially now, with our Moroccan production and our own greenhouses, we can be a year-round partner for them. Of course, it's a small country, but we're already working with one retailer and are now looking into opportunities to expand our offerings. I think we've also been able to inspire others with our product range."
For more information:
Gert Van Causenbroeck
VLAM
Tel: +32 02 552 80 32
vlam@vlam.be
www.vlam.be
Geert Koyen
Coöperatie Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
2320 Hoogstraten, Belgium
Tel: +32 33 40 02 11
info@hoogstraten.eu
www.hoogstraten.eu
Wout Roovers
Den Berk Délice
Tel: +32 32 89 50 38
info@denberkdelice.be
www.denberk-delice.be