vlad – Lextom Natur

Where We Are – A Global Pandemic Balance Sheet for Our Business

vlad — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:17:44 +0000

The Covid-19 pandemic struck swiftly and suddenly. No one expected that, just like nobody could have anticipated the unfortunate turn of events.

Traders predicted that farmers would be devastated by their produce rotting away, with urban consumers fearing soaring prices, and transportation industry dreading the thought of a general lockdown. Authorities were at a loss. To be honest, everybody feared a global hysteria.

The level of disruption is not the same everywhere, though. Some states took prevention measures earlier than others, so the economic impact is negligible compared to the latter.

Still, the inefficiency resulting from the required social distancing in production or packing places, the growth in logistical expenses, the additional safety measures, as well as the delays generated new costs and obstacles to deal with. Not to mention market pressures and product losses which, in turn, increased the pressure on growers and traders, as these additional costs are not compensated by the somewhat higher returns on sales.

Disruption also intensified due to the new restrictions to movement across countries in Europe. Further checks for new or additional certificates at borders, as well as quarantined trucks or drivers generate delays that are damaging to perishable goods.

Worker fatigue and stress are also a major problem. In the new setting, they leave their jobs due to various reasons, ranging anywhere from stress to forced quarantine, which creates noticeable labor shortages. So it is more important than ever to maintain employee safety by providing them protective gear, but also comfort, since motivation also took a hit across all business levels.

It is, thus, paramount to establish safety processes and conditions for employees as preconditions to maintaining a safe workplace so that they can operate at a reasonable capacity despite the strict lockdown measures.

Given all this context, we at Lextom Natur are doing our best to operate efficiently all across Europe and to keep our promise: to bring nature in your hands, as always.

Articolul Where We Are – A Global Pandemic Balance Sheet for Our Business apare prima dată în Lextom Natur.

Moving Plants – A Challenge

vlad — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:15:23 +0000

You know by now: we at Lextom Natur are always striving to bring nature in your hands. But what does that actually mean?

Well, this means that it is crucial that you ultimately receive a fresh, intact produce, just as you expect.

Which, in turn, means that everyone involved in the supply chain must collaborate perfectly and smoothly in order for the produce to make it to you in pristine condition.

But, as you might imagine, the logistics of transporting fresh produce is not a simple matter, as so many factors must be taken into consideration. Packaging, temperature, humidity, are only a few of the aspects when ensuring that the produce stays fresh and intact.

From seed to your plate, plants go through a lot of care, exchanging many hands. Think about farmers, gatherers, packers, shipping staff, transporters, vendors, and so on. If you decide to not buy local, the process gets even more complicated, as your goods still have to be just as fresh.

So, what do we do?

First, we identify suppliers who have the best produce available: under-ripe, sturdy fruits and vegetables that can undergo shipping and still look perfect after transport.

Secondly, we find what the best packaging may be. Hard-skinned fruits and tough vegetables, like oranges or potatoes, are more suited for transportation, while soft ones, such as strawberries or tomatoes, are more prone to bruising from vibrations and shocks, as well as less resistant to temperature and humidity changes. Of course, there are also size and weight issues when it comes to packaging and transportation, since watermelons and strawberries obviously have different requirements.

Did you know that after being harvested, fruits and vegetables release ethylene, a gas that makes sensitive ones (like peppers or tomatoes) ripe and spoil much faster? That’s why some fruits and vegetables cannot be transported together.

These and other challenges contribute to billions of euros being lost yearly due to our beloved green goods getting spoiled along the way.

See? You thought it was simple. Just pick fruits from country A and deliver them to specific place in Country B. Well, as we showed, it’s not that easy.

Well, for us it is, because we’re professionals, but, as they say, don’t try this at home. Better call us whenever you want nature in your hands.

Articolul Moving Plants – A Challenge apare prima dată în Lextom Natur.

Fruits and Vegetables Transportation – The Smart Upgrades

vlad — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 15:14:42 +0000

Since the early discovery of agriculture, humans understood the importance of moving goods from one place to another, because sometimes – well, most of the times – things are not needed right where they are produced.

So, if you think a lot has changed since then… you would be right, on a larger scale of things. Just think about the evolution of roads and means of transportation. To farming and packaging.

But if we take into consideration the last century, not much is different, although the need for a shift in the transportation paradigm is becoming more and more pressing as population grows and technology advances across all industries.

That is why we need to focus on identifying the best modern technological solutions to our transportation needs, those solutions that translate into an easier access to the goods we need, while saving time and costs.

This could start with curbing the need for drivers and addressing experienced driver shortages by implementing more and more autonomous transportation devices as soon as the option becomes available. Which is not tomorrow, but, considering how much progress has been made, a few years is a good estimate. This change could also help calculating the margin errors for losses due to food spoilage.

Another aspect to keep in mind can refer to warehouse robot pickers instead of their human version, especially in the context of increased demand for products driven by e-commerce sales. This cuts costs and increases efficiency, especially when you think that robots work wage-free 24/7.

Articolul Fruits and Vegetables Transportation – The Smart Upgrades apare prima dată în Lextom Natur.