The story of Kerstin Sabottka
“Response quickly and flexibly to market changes”
“Both from a human point of view and as a company, it is very important to us that we all get through this crisis successfully – or at least as successfully as the situation allows. In order to do so, we have to make sure that the entire value chain functions properly”, says Kerstin Sobottka, Managing Director of Rijk Zwaan Welver GmbH. Kerstin describes the situation in Germany and how they are helping customers in this dynamic market.
Supply chain
As a vegetable seed producer, Rijk Zwaan is at the very beginning of the supply chain. In order to shoulder our responsibility, we have taken extensive measures to protect our customers and employees and thus to ensure that our company can continue to produce and supply seeds.
Export
For us as a vegetable breeder, the international trade in seeds is of great importance. Germany produces only 37% of its vegetable requirements domestically; the rest is produced abroad and then imported. In countries where we work with trading partners, such as in the Scandinavian countries, we try to ensure the supply of seed as early as possible. In order to continue to guarantee a sufficient supply of fresh vegetables and seeds, it is essential to maintain cross-border supply chains by keeping the borders open for these products and enabling speedy transport.
Respond to market changes
At the moment, many consumers are increasingly turning to fresh food. In this situation, it is important to keep prices and delivery quantities stable. For this, too, an increase in domestic production is absolutely necessary. From the seed side, we are closely monitoring demand levels and supply chains so that we can react quickly and flexibly to changes in the market and support our customers by providing solutions for challenges they may encounter.”
This interview with Kerstin Sobttka has been published in Fruchthandel magazine.