AFRICA OUTLOOK: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT MARGINPAR’S EXPANSION AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

Richard Fernandes, CEO: “In order to continue to grow our business we will be strengthening existing trade lanes, like US and Japan as well as opening up new trade lanes such as Australia, Middle East and the Far East.

“We are also very excited about our new purpose-built facility that we will soon be moving into which will be built next to Royal FloraHolland’s (RFH) Aalsmeer site. We will be connected internally to the auction distribution, creating a better efficiency for our distribution and transport.

“We are working on many initiatives such as developing our own DXP (Digital Experience Platform) so that all the necessary information that is needed to run the business more efficiently is ready at one’s fingertips, using artificial intelligence (AI) for more accurate crop forecasting, investing in more AquaChecks for more efficient water and fertilizer use, using solar energy to supplement our electricity use, partnering more closely with leading biological pest solution companies so that we can use less pesticides.

“Essentially, we are embracing technologies that will make us more efficient, but ones which take us down the path of creating a more sustainable business, innovations with a socio-environmental aspect take the lead.”