Using experience in international road transport as a bridge to exporting and, eventually, cultivating fruit. Although not an immediately obvious choice, it is by no means an unthinkable one either. After five years in logistics, Iurie Dogotar, founder and CEO of the Moldovan company Mistin Com, created subsidiary Fruct Grup in 2008. Its main activity - as the name suggests - was trading fruit, but for several years now, it has been growing that fruit, too.
"Besides a 20+ hectare plum orchard, we also have an equally large acreage of Moldova grapes, which we purchased last year," begins sales manager Dumitru Tiltu. "Currently, 80% of Mistin Com's business is exporting fruit, and the rest is transporting other goods by road. We want to bring the fruit cultivation and export entirely under Fruct Grup. The parent company will then, thanks to its own fleet of trucks and drivers, ensure the product safely reaches its destination."
Moldova grapes
Bureaucratic red-tape
The newly acquired plot's grape vines will be uprooted and replaced with young plants, also of the Moldova variety. "We'll replace the irrigation system, too. Drip irrigation is much more efficient and economical. We can supply the crops with enough water since water availability is becoming an issue. The reservoir we draw from isn't always enough, and you need government authorization to tap into the underground reserves. And that's sometimes a bureaucratic headache," says Dumitru.
"This year, our grapes are a tad small because the vines are aging and didn't receive enough water. Along with replanting this plot, we plan to plant an additional 15 hectares on a pergola elsewhere. The ultimate goal is to market predominantly own-grown fruit: Moldova grapes as well as Stanley and President plums. We'll control everything, from cultivation to sorting and transportation."
For storage, grading, and packaging, Fruct Grup currently hires facilities 35 km north of their location near Moldova's capital city. "We want to buy the property; it will reduce our cost structure over time. For plums and grapes, though, westarted a sorting line in September," Dumitru explains.
Buying in from other growers
Last year, Fruct Grup exported 1,950 tons of grapes and 1,030 tons of plums, primarily to Polish and German wholesalers. "This season, we should also ship over 4,500 tons of apples overseas, mainly Golden, Gala, and Red Chief. We source these from other growers whom we carefully select for compliance with quality requirements. We used to export to the Middle East, too, but that's somewhat harder now."
"Last summer, we even filled about six trucks with Kordia and Ferrovia cherries destined for Italy, Spain, and Germany. But the cherry season hasn't been smooth sailing. Due to heavy rainfall - that usually happens once every four years - there was some cracking early in the season. Then, having protective nets is a must," Dumitru concludes.
Fruct Grup's focus being on own-grown grape and plum exports in the future does not detract from its ambition of offering agritourism. Indeed, woods surround its plots, so people could combine spending time in nature with farm activities.
Fruct Grup is in the final stages of becoming GlobalGAP certified and will be at the upcoming Fruit Attraction in Madrid. You can find the company at the joint Moldova Fruct sector organization's stand, 10D18.
For more information:
Dumitru Tiltu (Sales Manager)
Fruct Grup Ltd
Chișinău, str.Moara Rosie 5A – Moldova
Mob: +373 69110660
[email protected]
https://fructgrup.com/