18123_NSFM-mei-2021_Guts_Totaal_UK_1_Spreads_LR

Agrovision is conquering the world.
Growth
requires
guts and
dedication.
Every successful entrepreneur needs guts. So, it’s no surprise
that each and every one of the entrepreneurs that have chosen to
work together with Aartsen share this feature: wanting to be the
very best! One company that stands out as particularly gutsy is
Agrovision, a Peruvian company we would like to introduce to you.
Supplying to countries worldwide
and all year round
Agrovision grows and packages fruit and
vegetables in Peru and exports them to other
countries (and will do so from Mexico and
Morocco in the near future too). Agrovision
grows blueberries, grapes, asparagus and
avocados, which it supplies at times of the year
when customers are unable to source these in
their own countries. Advanced agricultural
technology and the growing region Agrovision
operates in, enable it to supply produce all
year round. Its products are destined for
established and upcoming global markets
like the United States, Canada, Europe,
the United Kingdom, China and other Asiatic
and Central and South American countries.
The founders of Agrovision, Tom Snyder and
Steve Magami, both have experience of running
and investing in companies in which land
ownership and use are key. But neither of them
had any direct experience with fruit and
vegetable cultivation. However, this did not stop
them from making plans. Quite the opposite.
Steve Magami: ‘We saw huge opportunities
for blueberries and recognised that the global
quality of supply was relatively poor. At the
same time, we also saw an opportunity to
cultivate this crop in Peru - a natural
greenhouse - all year round. Wow! We realised
how lucrative it could be if we were able to offer
customers predictable and reliable supply of
the best quality.
Different to other suppliers
‘We admire the work of many exporters in Peru and other growing
regions. But the world needs better players and, to achieve this, we
need to become even better growers. We have a different approach
compared to other companies – and that’s part of our vision too.
We want to transform the world around us. Let me give you an
example: we used our vision and imagination to transform parts of the
Peruvian desert into fertile arable land, to identify new and improved
varieties and to help us take advantage of the huge opportunities in
China, because of the huge demand for berries there.’
New products
Initially, Agrovision started with blueberries but has now expanded its
product range to include asparagus, grapes and avocados. ‘It doesn't
matter what sector you’re in, you need to have guts to introduce new
products. No project is ever without some level of risk. Dedication is
essential too. We are aware of the risks involved but are being very
cautious. We carefully weigh up every decision and listen to
the good advice of the people we work with – who are the very best.’
Abroad
‘We are becoming a global company. In the past, we focused more
on Peru, but that’s changing now. We asked ourselves what we
would need to do to be able to supply berries 52 weeks a year.
Our conclusion? We need to be in Mexico to tap the American market
and in Morocco for the European market. So, that’s what we did.
We headed off to Mexico and Morocco, armed with the very latest,
leading genetics and the best teams. Today, our organisation is
well-placed to attract premium talent. We weren’t able to do this
when we first started out in Peru. There are huge opportunities,
which are now very quickly translating into geographic expansion.
We are currently planting raspberries and blackberries on our first
100 hectares of land in Mexico.’
Aartsen’s market knowledge
China is an important growth market for Agrovision, which is where
Aartsen comes in. ‘We have a very close working relationship in China
and Europe, which makes Agrovision-Aartsen one of the prominent
supply chains. Currently, blueberries and grapes are our most
important crops in both Asia and Europe. We really value Aartsen's
market knowledge of Europe and Asia and its ability to identify
customers’ needs and preferences. We are achieving more sales
and better prices as a result.’
Aartsen and guts
Steve Magami says that Aartsen has a lot of guts too: ‘What’s a
Dutch fruit and vegetable company doing in Hong Kong? How has
it managed to become one of the leading players in the sector?
This achievement would have been impossible without a healthy
dose of guts and courage!’
nonstop
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