For many years, Dutch Flower Group (DFG) has been active in Africa and especially in Kenya, with respect to sourcing African products, like roses and carnations, as well as other varieties of cut flowers and foliage.
In the past, the activities of the DFG marketing and trading companies, based in Europe, were represented by two well-known local sourcing companies: Flower Sourcing Africa (FSA) and PROGRESS.
FSA was born out of the former DFG Kenya sourcing team. PROGRESS was the Mavuno Group, Professional Grower Export Support Services organisation, which after the DFG/Mavuno strategic alliance in May 2011, migrated to DFG. These two organisations for the last few years have been operating autonomously of each other, both sourcing from and supporting growers on behalf of Dutch Flower Group companies.
Due to the ever-changing market environment the way of working of Flower Sourcing Africa (FSA) and PROGRESS has become more and more comparable over the last few years. Both organisations are active on behalf of European multiple retail customers (i.e supermarkets) as well as floral wholesalers of Dutch Flower Group companies in The Netherlands and UK. These marketing companies deal with the leading parties in the consumer sales of cutflowers, bouquets and plants and work on a long-term basis together.
To realise synergy within the activities that DFG develops in Kenya, it has been decided that through central coordination more efficient processes can be organised. Both organisations are now integrated and continue under the name DFG Africa. The labels PROGRESS and FSA will cease to exist.
The sourcing team managers, Jan Smit and Erik van Duijn say: “our integration will give benefits for all parties in the chain.”
Conrad Archer, Director: “The necessary drive to constantly keep efficiencies up and costs down, naturally sees these two organisations with similar operations move closer together, this was the logical next step, the result will also lead to much closer cooperation with our growers”.
If additional information is needed from growers or other key chain partners, they can directly contact: Conrad Archer (+254 20 6608000), Erik van Duijn (+254 717 111425) or Jan Smit (+254 722 904626) at DFG Africa in Nairobi