WHEN EVERY

TON COUNTS

The past growing season was exceptional. The extreme summer had a huge impact on both the yield in the field and the availability of the products for the market. The Agro and Commerce departments do everything in their power to support growers and customers.

Michiel Puttman

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MARKETING AND SALES OF AVEBE'S PRODUCTS.

‘In July we already had the impression that we could expect a lower supply this year. From that moment on we've been constantly working to maintain the relationship with our customers. We choose not to invoke force majeure. The last thing we want is to breach the contract. If we're seriously short of starch, our customers also have a problem. We have customers who lose twenty thousand euros for every hour that a factory is shut down. We can't ignore that. In some cases we even supply starch that we've taken out of the market elsewhere.’

Attractive deal
‘We want to stay in control and work out together with the customer how to limit the damage. We've visited all our contacts with an expiring contract at an early stage. You try to make a deal that's attractive to both parties. For example, by setting and optimising prices for a longer period of time.’

Maintaining the strategy
‘We remain committed to our strategy and are making hard choices, - especially now. In some cases we've parted more quickly from market positions that we were planning to phase out anyway. Of course, we give the highest priority to the sale of the raw materials and ingredients with which we create the most value, today and in the future. That way we can make the best possible use of our earning capacity.’

Better relationships with our customers
‘We've once again seen that we work with a natural product and that it can't be taken for granted that the planned quantity is ready at the desired time. The market realises that more than ever. I hope that, looking back in a year's time, we'll see that the relationships with our customers have become even stronger.’

Arjan de Rooij

AGRO DIRECTOR AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORGANISATION OF THE SUPPLY OF POTATOES TO AVEBE.

‘Together with the growers we extract as much as we can. For example, by creating flexibility in the purchase schedule at the start of the campaign. Some growers asked to be allowed to deliver later so that they could take advantage of the extra growing days. This was possible because others volunteered to have the potatoes collected early. Also, everyone has paid attention where possible to the smaller potatoes: when harvesting, loading and taking them into the factory. We try to keep losses to a minimum. Certainly this year every ton counts.’

Supporting members
‘As a cooperative, we want to support our members. That is why the advance on payment has been increased this year. The Board and the Members' Council also decided not to add anything to the cooperative's equity this year. Everything we earn this year will be paid out in full to the members.’

For better and for worse
‘We've appealed to our members to deliver as much as possible, even though in the short term sales via other potato processors seem attractive. If Avebe misses out on this supply, it puts extra pressure on the cooperative's performance. We base our plans on the A-volume and enter into commitments in the market. This volume is what the growers and Avebe agree on as the minimum supply and forms the basis for our production and sales volume. As a cooperative member you opt for continuity; in good times and bad ones. I think that loyalty has increased, not least thanks to the ever improving performance of Avebe in recent years.’

Spirit in de organisation
‘In the Agro department we've noticed how big the impact is for the growers, both commercially and emotionally. When we look back next year, I hope we can say: it was intensive, challenging and sometimes pretty difficult, but we did everything we could. That's the spirit in the organisation. I'm proud of that.’