Family-owned exporter of baby vegetables and exotic fruit, Imifino Exports, has just celebrated its first year, but owner Vincent Keesenberg has many years of experience in fresh exports by sea freight and airfreight, but has decided to now focus primarily on airfreight.
Partnering with Above and Beyond Logistics, another family business, gives Imifino Exports' perishable cargo the level of attention it requires, Keesenberg says, because the logistics' company's staff is well-trained and understand the importance of the cold chain, it ensures that their fantastic range of fresh product arrives in perfect condition at the final destination.
Demand for baby vegetables come year-round from Europe, the UK, the Middle East and the Far East, while exotic fruit – with the exception of Queen Victoria baby pineapples, which are available all through the year – is more seasonal.
Right now during the European summer, cruise ships are requiring lots of baby vegetables; carrots and baby marrows are in high demand all the time, and South Africa's weather and lower labour costs allow year-round production of niche lines, like chillies, and especially bird's eye chillies of which there is a shortage in Europe and the United Kingdom but Imifino has a continuous supply, grown in close cooperation with a Limpopo farmer.
Imifino supplies Europe & UK with bird's eye chillies during current shortage
"Our volumes have doubled over the past three months. It's because of our service, communication and continuous availability of the product needed that we've grown so much," he maintains.
"We have personal relationships with our farmers and customers and that creates trust and respect for each other. If that is there, you can build a long and trustworthy business relationship."
Seasonal fruit available from Imifino is a long list: dragonfruit, litchis, kiwis, berries, figs, dates, even avocados by air for Middle Eastern clients.
Right: Imifino is a twelve month supplier of airfreighted Queen Victoria baby pineapples
"We dilute the risk of being without product by sourcing from farmers in different parts of the country. If the one is affected by frost or hail or other weather conditions, I still draw product from elsewhere in the country," he says.
Imifino Exports also look for more lenient markets like the Baltic countries and eastern Europe, ones that will take, say, seven to ten carrots in a 200g packet instead of the conventional ten to fourteen little carrots.
Baby carrots are in demand all the time
Keesenberg says that he also assists farmers who are currently not exporting, but interested in starting, with help and information to obtain GlobalG.A.P accreditation.
"I think there are farmers who are considering exports again because the local market is under pressure. Local produce is not obtaining the price increases it should, while everywhere input costs are on the rise."
For more information:
Vincent Keesenberg
Imifino Exports
Tel: +27 12 885 0233
Cell: +27 082 561 3278
Email: [email protected]
https://www.imifino.co.za/