Davis (Louth) Ltd is an importer and exporter of a wide range of organic products. The company concentrates on importing producing from mainland Europe but is beginning to look further afield.
Sales director Peter Wilson explains: “We are importers of organic cabbages, oranges, apples and stonefruit mainly from Spain, Italy and France. The export side of the business is beginning to grow due to interest rising in organic products.”
This season has been tough, in part, on the growers of organic vegetables. “The prices have not made a premium as regards to cauliflowers and cabbage, says Wilson. “However, we had a good season with stonefruit last year and we are looking to build on this success.”
Much of the company’s success is built upon its established relationship with growers and retailers alike. “The majority of our organic products are grown to contract with the stores. We have a very strict policy in place to make sure that contamination is not possible,” he says. “Equally, all our growers are registered with the relevant bodies and they are not permitted to grow conventional products at the same time. We often contract them to grow certain products, and they can then only grow for us. By making this agreement we guarantee to take their full crop.”
The company’s is well aware of the importance of good quality assurance with organics. “All of our products are cut, stored and then marked with the grower/product and date of harvest, with additional information such as the field and time,” says Wilson. “The product once in store is packed for export and checked by our quality assurance. It is then box-end labelled and stored ready for export, the lorry is loaded at source. We always try, where possible, to reduce handling and transit times. We also look to reduce the need for too many people handling the produce within the chain, as this reduces the risk of cross contamination at handling depots.”
The company’s main brand is Lemariee and this year with regards to export it is looking to work closely with a German supermarket. Wilson says: “We are hoping to export English organic cauliflowers to the German market from the end of March until the end of May. Last year we successfully trialed organic potatoes in 2.5kg bags, mainly Estima, and the results from these trials were particularly encouraging.”
Wilson also explains that the company is trialing other varieties of vegetables as it looks to send organic produce further afield. He says: “We are testing other varieties of cauliflower at the moment that would travel further. We have received encouraging enquiries from Austria, Estonia and Finland and we want to make the most of these opportunities.”
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