Zatwa Commodities Ltd is an African merchant based in Ivory Coast specialised in the export of fruits and vegetables, including coconuts, mangoes, papayas, bananas or pineapples, and focused on the promotion of exotic products from various origins (Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Uganda, Tanzania etc.), shipped by sea freight or aircraft. In the particular case of coconuts, which are available year round, but whose peak season is about to start, Mr Mohamed L. Diaby explains that “we offer them mainly to European countries, and also to Russia.”
He states that while the export volumes of coconuts cannot match those of bananas or pineapples, “it is a product that people are very keen on,” and the country is also in a strong position in Europe against its competitors, as “nowadays it costs less to export from Ivory Coast to the Netherlands than from Asian countries, and our shipping time (10 days) is also shorter.” As for Russia, he affirms that the ban has created opportunities, which is why Mr Ybrahim Traore, in Charge of the fruits & vegetables and also Cofounder of the firm, visited the recent WorldFood Moscow “to showcase the products and make new contacts.”
In terms of shipping, the company strives for the safe arrival of all its products, which is why it works exclusively with reefer containers. “The most difficult aspect is the sourcing, but thanks to our attention to logistical aspects, we are always able to reach [our destinations in Europe and Russia] in a timely manner.” As for the quality, he affirms “we are [also] very confident, because now, after two years of hard lessons and mistakes, we are able to deliver (millions of) coconuts without a single one going to waste.”
He explains that what is most important when shipping coconuts is the fruit’s weight, as “we sell [them] in bags, and each bag has to have minimum weight of 22.5 kg.” The key is that “the final seller who will distribute the goods in small volumes will weigh them when selling them, so the weight needs to be right, otherwise, they will make a loss.”
All in all, the firm’s commitment to quality and efficiency is allowing Zatwa to grow very quickly; in fact, despite it being a young company, it has already managed to increase its turnover from 120,000 Euro last year to almost 1 million dollars this year, and “we are definitely looking to sell a lot more coconuts,” affirms Mr Diaby; a goal that also applies to other products, like yam, which has a great reputation in Ivory Coast, or mangoes, whose season recently concluded and for which “more and more demand is coming.”
While Mr Diaby admits that work needs to be done to obtain official certifications in order to reach larger retailers in Holland, the UK or France, with the growth of companies like Zatwa, which is fully focused on growing organic products (Okra, Habanero pepper, melon, green beans, Aubergines…),“I believe that in the coming two to four years people will see a lot more fruits and vegetables coming from the Ivory Coast,” he concludes.
For more information:
Mohamed L. DIABY
Zatwa Commodities
Tel: +225 20 36 02 16
Email: [email protected]
www.zatwa.com