Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc – US Strategic Update Amid
Five-year Transformation Plan – 17 March 2021
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Specialist:
Title:
Moderator: Nyree Hinton (NH), Third Bridge Sector Analyst
Dionysios (Dennis) Christou (DC)
Former VP, Marketing at Del Monte Fresh Produce Co
Agenda:
1. Update on Fresh Del Monte Produce's (NYSE: FDP) product categories and distribution channels
2. Innovation prospects in value-added products
3. Local and private label competition
4. Pros and cons of a vertically integrated business model
5. Managing margin pressures through cost efficiencies and retailer relationships
Contents
Q: What market background or trend overview would you highlight about the fresh foods industry? What are
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the main categories and drivers? Who are the top competitors?
Q: How has coronavirus altered some of the aforementioned trends?
Q: Why do you think the fresh-cut produce market is so highly fragmented?
Q: What’s your business overview of Fresh Del Monte’s various categories in operation?
Q: How has coronavirus impacted Del Monte’s business?
Q: What are the pros and cons of Del Monte’s operating model or a vertically integrated business?
Q: Why doesn’t Del Monte sell the land and farms and focus on product import and export?
Q: What areas in Del Monte’s business would you describe as less appealing? The company has been very
active in selling its land assets. What would you note about the high costs of being vertically integrated and
having so many different assets scattered worldwide?
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Q: Del Monte has indicated a low appetite for acquisitions, but plans to use the proceeds from land and asset
sales to pay down debt and increase the dividends. Do you think this is the right direction given some asset
purchases could be discounted or overvalued? What should Fresh Del Monte Produce or a similar player do
if there’s extra cash on hand?
Q: Could you outline Del Monte’s competitive landscape in the banana market, along with the overall fresh
foods category?
Q: What operating weaknesses would you highlight for Del Monte, particularly in its national and regional
or local footprint?
Q: How significant a threat is local and private label? How is market share developing given the
disadvantages of not being able to supply on a national level?
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Q: What would you attribute to Del Monte’s reported weakness in its banana segment for most of 2020? Is it
linked to the key trends you highlighted about consumer health and wellness demands and product origin? 8
Q: What value-add services does Del Monte provide? Management indicates that retailer outsource can grow
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due to more stringent regulations and demand for value-added services. Can you expand on this?
Q: Why do you think Del Monte continues to invest and operate in the banana segment? It accounts for
almost 40% of Del Monte’s sales but is a low-margin profile business, highly competitive with low barriers to
entry, and subject to volatile price swings due to seasonality and extreme weather. How stable is the market?9
Q: What are the global opportunities for bananas? What are the implications of Iran opening up its banana
market after a two-year closure?
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Q: Can you explain the European ban on MRL [maximum residue level] and what it means for the industry?11
Q: What are Del Monte’s most pressing challenges over the next 6-12 months?
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Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc – US Strategic Update
Amid Five-year Transformation Plan
Transcription begins at 00:00:00 of the recorded material
NH: Welcome to Third Bridge Forum’s Interview entitled Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc – US Strategic
Update Amid Five-year Transformation Plan. I am Nyree Hinton and I will be facilitating today’s Interview
with Mr Dennis Christou, former VP of Marketing at Del Monte Fresh Produce.
Dennis, before we get started to today’s Interview please state I agree or I disagree to the following statement:
You understand the definition of material non-public information and agree not to disclose any such
information, or any other information which is confidential, during this Interview.
DC: I agree.
NH: Thank you, Dennis. Could you start with an overview of your background and various roles you’ve held in
the industry?
DC: I have been employed with Chiquita Brands International and Del Monte Fresh Produce. My career spans
34 years, and I have worked in the North American, European and global produce industry during this entire
time, in roles spanning from sales, logistics coordination, and marketing PR. My last position at Del Monte
Fresh Produce was Vice President of Marketing. I had the responsibility as the global brand steward for the
Del Monte brand. I also had the responsibility for public relations. Prior to Del Monte, I blessed Chiquita
Brands with the position of Vice President of Marketing, Chiquita Europe.
[00:01:51]
Q: What market background or trend overview would you highlight about the fresh foods industry? What are
the main categories and drivers? Who are the top competitors?
DC: The fresh produce industry, in general, is an industry that is very much driven by supply and demand.
The industry tends to be highly fragmented, and global in nature. There are certain preferences on a regional
basis, but in general they tend to be overall similar across regions. The fresh produce industry tends to be
over-supplied across most categories, and there is a tendency to shift, over the years, demand on certain
produce items, while other produce items become less in demand. A good example of that is the citrus
industry, or some other products that nowadays are not as top of mind as they used to be, for example, kiwis,
etc. There are certain staples that remain in demand, and fairly stable across the world, and typical of that are
bananas, apples, the commodities, if you will, within the industry. The industry has been slowly growing, but
not at tremendous rates. The shifts within the industry have been primarily expansion, especially in North
America, expansion into non-traditional channels where, basically, you would have produce on the go, and
also convenience-driven, fresh-cut offerings in channels that typically were not able to carry fresh produce in
the past due to logistical issues and distribution challenges. We would have entry of fresh produce, for
example, in convenience stores, smaller stores, and also certain food service operators.
The other trend that has been driving the produce industry has been the health trend. In general, consumers
have been trying to shift to a healthier diet. However, this has benefited primarily the vegetable category,
which has been growing still. The fruit category remains relatively stable in terms of total per capita
consumption. In terms of within the fruit categories, what you’ve seen is there’s been a shift amongst fruit, but
total overall per capita consumption has been growing at a relatively slower pace.
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[00:05:18]
Q: How has coronavirus altered some of the aforementioned trends?
DC: One of the channels that produce has been growing at a relatively higher pace, has been the food service
industry, where the suppliers were able to provide products that removed some of the cost elements and
convenience, and portion control requirements of the operators. Since COVID obviously restricted the food
service industry, that impacted significantly the produce category, especially in the vegetable category initially.
However, that has changed over time, where a lot of its consumption shifted to in-home consumption.
Another thing that has been an impact on the produce industry as a result of COVID was the fact that
convenience that used to be a growing trend, and a driving category, has been stunted, because people were
not circulating and eating on the go. That was shifted more to in-home cooking, and that required less
consumption of fresh-cut fruit, and more preparation at home. The other thing that is interesting, and it’s
been unaccounted for, is the fact that there has been a shift from health to more indulgence during this period,
and while still health is a big driving factor, you do have the return of indulgence as a major trend. People tend
to reward themselves, or indulge in certain items that typically they would not do, due to peer pressure, due to
unavailability, etc.
[00:07:50]
Q: Why do you think the fresh-cut produce market is so highly fragmented?
DC: That’s an interesting question. Fresh-cut produce, the minute that you cut an item, you immediately start
reducing its useful shelf life, so that requires that the item could be able to carry a reasonable shelf life, which
would make it commercially viable for the distributors and/or customers, customers being not necessarily the
consumers, but more the retailers. It has to have a certain minimum amount of days on-shelf available, before
it spoils. To that extent, because of the size of the North American market, it became difficult for single players
to be able to service the entire market from a few distribution centres, such as the case of packaged goods,
where shelf life is less of a consideration. The opportunity for fresh cut was identified and was fulfilled by a
number of smaller, local players, with limited regional servicing capabilities. That’s why you would have high
fragmentation, rather than having a concentration of fewer players. Del Monte was, and it has been publicly
discussed, one of the earliest customers, suppliers who identified that opportunity, and has an extensive
distribution network throughout the North American market, that was able to capitalise on servicing
customers on a national basis. That was beneficial, obviously, for customers that have a national footprint,
rather than a local footprint.
[00:10:06]
Q: What’s your business overview of Fresh Del Monte’s various categories in operation?
DC: Del Monte Fresh Produce is, first and foremost, a fresh produce company. In Europe, Africa and the
Middle East, they have a little bit more flexibility, because they had purchased, back in 2004, Del Monte Foods
Europe, which give them full rights of the Del Monte brand across categories, and to that effect, they have
been engaged in sales of processed items, such as juices, canned products, etc. In North America, in Asia-
Pacific, and other markets, Del Monte Fresh Produce is limited to a range of only fresh produce that have been
defined by the agreement between Del Monte Fresh Produce and Del Monte Foods, during their separation
back, I believe, in the 1980s, I think. Del Monte engages primarily in the sale of fresh bananas, which is the
largest volume item for the company, fresh pineapples, which they were the pioneer of the new variety at the
time of MD2, which became the predominant variety after many years, and then, fresh-cut items. They do
have a range and a portfolio of other commodity whole foods. Those could be anything from apples, grapes,
Private and confidential 4
tomatoes, melons, etc. Those are a smaller percentage of their total offering. In North America, with the
purchase of the Mann Packing group, Del Monte also was able to penetrate the vegetable and leafy green
market, which was something that they were not particularly prevalent in, and now they have a full range of
fresh produce items that they can service their customers.
In addition to the fresh and fresh-cut fruit, the whole fresh and fresh-cut fruit, Del Monte, as I mentioned
before, has the ability to distribute packaged goods and, in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, they provide a
full range of packaged goods. Especially in the Middle East area, where they have a range, anything from
canned pineapples, to tuna, to pasta, and everything in between, in addition to juices and other products. In
Europe, they tend to be primarily concentrated on canned products, some minor snacks and juices, primarily
ambient temperature products. There are very little fresh-cut fruit sales in Europe. It’s something that has
started in the last few years, and also in Asia-Pacific it’s something that’s started during the past few years.
Outside North America, there’s a limited volume of fresh vegetables. The company still tends to focus on fruit.
Another area where Del Monte has invested is an area that their CEO has identified as a potential growth area
is the area of restaurants. They have started a chain of small restaurants within the Middle East, and they have
just announced the opening of their first restaurant in North America, in Coral Gables. One other range of
products that Del Monte has, is industrial ingredients, which is primarily pineapple. Whether that is IQF
pineapples, or juice concentrate, or single-strength juice, primarily from their Kenyan operations, where they
have a pineapple farm there, and also a cannery.
[00:15:14]
Q: How has coronavirus impacted Del Monte’s business?
DC: I think the biggest impact has been on the food service, especially in North America, especially the Mann
business, which is the vegetable business. Clearly, other products that were impacted were products that I
don’t have specific knowledge, but I infer that, because of the nature of the products, they could’ve been
impacted, were the fresh-cut produce items that were primarily focused on convenience, and on-the-go, due to
the restrictions of circulation of consumers. The produce industry as a general fared OK, outside the
convenience and food service channels, especially in the retail sector, where demand has remained robust,
especially after the first days of COVID. Also, another thing that has allowed the movement of produce is the
shift of consumers to direct home deliveries, and e-commerce, which allowed products to move through the
supply chain without the disruptions that they were originally observing in terms of logistics, etc.
[00:17:04]
Q: What are the pros and cons of Del Monte’s operating model or a vertically integrated business?
DC: Again, I’m not speaking about Del Monte specifically, (audio cuts out 17.25-17.32) in general, the ability
to be vertically integrated allows product to move swiftly through the distribution chain, without necessarily
having to rely on third parties. Also being able to provide priority to your own products, the ability to ensure
that the margins of each link of the chain are repeated within the industry, and also the ability to make
changes quickly to adapt to changing environments, and the demand over the products, and also to shift
products from market-to-market. If you were not vertically integrated, that would lengthen the time, which is,
time is money in the frozen industry. Also, it would not allow the company to necessarily make decisions based
on the end point, but would rely on each individual chain of the supply chain on finalising the delivery, but
also the availability of the products in specific locations, or in specific channels. By being vertically integrated,
you can shift your ships to different vessels. You can identify and move product with your own trucks, process
products within your own distribution centres, shift products to make up for unforeseen demand spikes, or
supply restrictions from other distribution centres, and being able to service national customers. Those are
very typical things that other suppliers eventually have been utilising. Del Monte is one of the most vertically
integrated, and most diversified operations, within North America at least.
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[00:19:51]
Q: Why doesn’t Del Monte sell the land and farms and focus on product import and export?
DC: If you look at most of the operators within the produce industry, especially the large multinational
operators, they work with a hybrid model, so they do own the land, and they grow products there, but a large
percentage of their product comes from third parties, so they do contract. This allows them to diversify their
operations, to be able to find product at times of scarcity, for example, during the recent hurricane in Central
America, operators were able to purchase product from Ecuador. If they did not have that ability, if they did
not have that hybrid model, they would not be able to deliver product to their customers, or their costs would
have been exceedingly high but, because they have contracts with third-party operators, that gave them the
opportunity to purchase product from third parties, and not be concentrated in one area that could be
completely wiped out.
Also, it allows you to diversify your costs, by moving product in different locations. The ability to provide
services and product to your customers, without necessarily having to invest in land throughout the seasonal
supply chain. For example, if you have production, let’s say, of your own production in land in Chile, then you
do not necessarily have to buy land in North America and, by operating a hybrid model, you will be able to
supply your customers on a year-round basis, of the same products, at a fairly economical model. I don’t think
that there is one solution. I believe a hybrid model is probably the most economical model for operators in
fresh produce, and also the one that has been tested over time, and became a lot more used. If you were to be
either 100% ownership or 100% purchased fruit, then you are restricted to higher fluctuations in the market,
pricing and bidding wars, and also losing control over your quality, by having to diversify your sourcing
locations, and not being able to control quality as well as you would if you had your own product.
[00:23:05]
Q: What areas in Del Monte’s business would you describe as less appealing? The company has been very
active in selling its land assets. What would you note about the high costs of being vertically integrated and
having so many different assets scattered worldwide?
DC: I am not privy to the information, in terms of what land has been sold, but clearly some land, and it’s
common across all multinationals, are less productive than other. Some lands have been in production for
several years and they are in need of investment in bringing back to the optimal level of production. That is not
necessarily the best thing to do, given the cost and locations, and also the contracts that certain companies
have, in terms of customers and markets. Land is still, in my opinion, a primary source of potential
diversification, or disposal of assets. Other things that could be, and I’m not speaking about Del Monte, but in
general, the produce industry has been traditionally very much reliant on labour, and some of the assets that
were built over the years would need significant investments, in terms of purchasing equipment, and utilising
a lot more technology. Those assets might be primed for sale, if they’re not in locations where, at this time, are
convenient, based on the structure of the company.
Overlaps, a good example, has been given by the chairman of Del Monte where, with the purchase of Mann,
there were certain assets that were overlapping with Del Monte’s assets, and it was logical to dispose of some
of those assets. Those are the primary areas. Maybe some older vessels that the company might have had, and
that is something that is very typical of the larger multinationals, where they rotate their fleet, and they shift
their capacity, either to owned or chartered vessels, depending on the charter rates at the time, and the
availability of tonnage. Del Monte, I believe they announced the introduction of six new vessels, and I’m
assuming that those six new vessels would replace existing vessels which, in my judgement, I don’t know for a
fact, that they either would be put into different service, or they’ve been sold, or they would be chartered out.
Private and confidential 6
[00:26:40]
Q: Del Monte has indicated a low appetite for acquisitions, but plans to use the proceeds from land and asset
sales to pay down debt and increase the dividends. Do you think this is the right direction given some asset
purchases could be discounted or overvalued? What should Fresh Del Monte Produce or a similar player do if
there’s extra cash on hand?
DC: In my opinion, I think that there is a need, in general, within the produce industry, Del Monte being a
major player, to upgrade the technology that they use, and also to upgrade their automation within the
industry, either through new assets or upgrading assets. My recommendation is, before issuing dividends, to
focus on upgrading existing facilities in general. Building new facilities, maybe rethinking the model that exists
now, with a large number of distribution centres, especially fresh-cut facilities, given the new technology that
gives expanded shelf life of products, and potentially create a hub-and-spoke model, for at least the main items
that they have been distributing.
If I can double back to the previous point – one more item that, as a marketeer, I think it’s important to
mention, is that it is a wise move, in general, given the growing trend of private label and the commoditisation
of the industry, to use some of the proceeds of sales of assets to invest in new product development
technology, and innovation, and also to build their brands so they do not become commoditised. Provide more
unique and proprietary items that would be able to secure a distribution, and also to ensure higher margins
than the commodity items that they sell, in general, in the produce industry.
[00:30:00]
Q: Could you outline Del Monte’s competitive landscape in the banana market, along with the overall fresh
foods category?
DC: Del Monte, first of all, in terms of the banana market, it has traditionally competed against Chiquita and
Dole, within the United States. Dole and Chiquita have the number one and number two spots, in terms of
market share. Del Monte traditionally had the number three. There are smaller players that have entered the
market in the last few years. Some of them more long term, others more opportunistically. Those could be
Fyffes, for example, from Sumitomo, and also now you’re looking at the entry of Total Fruit1, from Ireland,
purchasing Dole. Still, in terms of the bananas, it’s not clear how it’s going to work out, but those are the
primary players within the banana market. Those companies have traditionally competed against each other.
The banana industry is highly competitive, as you noted, and the North American retailers tend to contract the
bananas, and they tend to choose from one of the three primary players most of the time.
In terms of the other products, you have a number of different players, as you noted before. The produce
industry tends to be highly fragmented. Most of the players tend to be very narrow, within the segments of the
industry. There’s relatively fewer players that have as big and diverse portfolio as Del Monte, Dole have, and
few of them are in the banana industry. Players that I can think of are Total Produce, as I mentioned before,
they have been very strategic and long-term players in acquiring companies within the United States, and
Canada. Other players could be, for example, Bonduelle, which has been answering the North American
market, and they have acquired both fresh and processed product companies, one of them being Del Monte
Foods Canada. Also smaller, in terms of product range, but still some of them are substantial sized family-
owned, or relatively small stakeholders owned, companies that dominate specific sectors of industry. One
company that comes to mind is Driscoll’s Berries, and those are substantially large companies with global
footprints, but they tend to be very narrow in terms of scope of products. Beyond that, you’d have the smaller,
family-owned companies. They tend to be more regional. They provide support to traditional customers that
they have, and they have some local followings, but they are not able to compete effectively on a national basis.
NH: I guess you would classify that as Del Monte’s main advantage it has over competitors.
1 Specialist is referring to Total Produce plc.
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[00:33:46]
Q: What operating weaknesses would you highlight for Del Monte, particularly in its national and regional or
local footprint?
DC: The ability to leverage your size and scope across multiple products and markets, provides you with the
flexibility of allocating products in the markets where there’s higher demand, and provide relief to markets
where there is oversupply. To be able to minimise impact of natural events, whether those are hurricanes or
weather events. To be able to diversify your product sourcing also allows you to be present year round, and not
be a seasonal player and allowing other competitors to enter in your domain, and contract with customers.
Last but not least is, as the national retail chains have dominated the landscape, they want to work with a
smaller number of players because that provides them with better control, gives them more leverage, and also
provides them with better services, and long-term planning with those individual players. For example,
players like Walmart. It’s a lot easier for them to deal with two or three companies, to be able to supply their
entire footprint all over their stores nationally, which are hundreds of stores, vs having to rely on smaller
players on a regional and local basis. Which would drive inefficiencies, and would create issues of supplies and
create issues of pricing, consistency and quality. Also it’s becoming more and more important to ensure that
issues such as food safety, which have plagued the produce industry, especially in the vegetable side, are better
controlled through dealing with larger players who have the ability to invest and ensure better quality control
and better food-safe systems.
[00:36:45]
Q: How significant a threat is local and private label? How is market share developing given the disadvantages
of not being able to supply on a national level?
DC: I think they’re gaining. I think private label is a much more serious threat than local. I think local tends to
be more of a trend, and a romantic notion, given the environment in the last few years, and the demand of
consumers to know where their product comes from, etc, or prior to that, due to food mileage, so it sets
consumer trends at the time. Private label is a much more serious threat, because in an environment where
you have oversupply, which is very typical within the produce industry in most products, retailers have the
ability to dictate the terms. By establishing their own brands as standalone brands, they take away the ability
of the suppliers to establish that link with the consumers, and create a pool for those specific products or that
specific brand.
A good example of that is Chiquita where, especially in Europe, for example, for a long time, and it still is the
case, they were able to provide a premium price, or to command a premium price for their products. Even
though their products were similar, in many instances, as the competition, but because they had built that
brand demand and brand perception, they had the brand equity, they were able to shift the power during
negotiations between customers and the suppliers. I’m a strong believer of brands. Also, it allows the
companies to innovate, and also ensure that, through innovative products, they can maintain their brand. If
they slowly start losing that advantage, and the premium that their brands offer to them, it also restricts their
ability, or reduces their ability, to innovate and invest in innovation. Therefore their products have to be much
more commoditised, and they shift more of the premium and/or demand to their store, rather than suppliers’
brands.
[00:39:59]
Q: What would you attribute to Del Monte’s reported weakness in its banana segment for most of 2020? Is it
linked to the key trends you highlighted about consumer health and wellness demands and product origin?
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DC: I really don’t have personal knowledge of how the overall performance of Del Monte has been in the
banana industry per se, and the reasons behind that. I can tell you that, in general, the purchasing of bananas
has been shifting between the companies, but it still remains relatively stable. There has been a shake-up of
the industry during COVID, where certain segments of the supply chain, whether that was convenience stores
or food service, were no longer available. That might have impacted it.
Another thing that impacted the banana industry was the hurricanes in Central America. I cannot tell you
precisely how that impact was distributed between the various companies, but clearly it did affect areas where
Del Monte had operations and plantations. One of the general trends we didn’t touch on – there has been an
ongoing back-and-forth, in terms of private label and direct sourcing by retailers in the banana industry. It’s
not yet prevalent, but certain retailers have attempted, and they have been purchasing directly from the
operations, and providing private label to their consumers, and that allows them to get a better control on
production, and be much more aware of what’s been happening. Also, to provide alternatives that further
dilute the power of the brands.
[00:42:41]
Q: What value-add services does Del Monte provide? Management indicates that retailer outsource can grow
due to more stringent regulations and demand for value-added services. Can you expand on this?
DC: It’s a pendulum and it depends a lot on the products. One of the things that comes to mind immediately is
ripening of bananas. Traditionally, the ripening of the product had been taking place in privately-owned, small
or smaller wholesaler operations close to the major markets in the US. That eventually was superseded by the
major companies entering into the ripening side of the business, through the creation of ripening centres. Del
Monte has several ripening centres throughout the United States, and later on, the retailers themselves
entered into the ripening side of the business, with major retailers operating their own ripening centres. You
have a whole range of services that exist, but as, especially for products that are highly systematised, like
bananas for example, and the reasonable cost of investment, in terms of technology for ripening rooms, that
allowed a lot of retailers to do their own ripening. Now, conversely, in terms of fresh-cut, for example, one
service that obviously is required is the processing of the actual fruit. Initially, many retailers performed that
within their own stores. However, as labour is becoming scarcer, as food safety regulations are becoming
stricter, some of these retailers outsource those services to suppliers such as Del Monte or other fresh-cut
suppliers in the United States. In some cases the retailers shifted their operations and those services, not
necessarily to third parties, but by creating their own commissaries. They replicated what the brands do, but
they do it on their own, in house, and they distribute within their own distribution systems.
In general, especially for fresh-cut fruit, relying on a third party gives you the ability to ensure that you have
continuity of supply, that you have better control in terms of quality, and also much more control in terms of
food safety, which are all very, very important items. Also, it provides you the flexibility of adapting on the
demand and supply side. For example, if you were, let’s say, to enter into a summer season, where it’s
seasonally hot, you would be able to increase your watermelon volume significantly, and let’s say, reduce your
cut apple volume, which could happen real quickly. If you were doing it on your own it would be much harder,
because you would’ve had to purchase the product, you would’ve had to store it and process it, and then not be
able to dispose of it outside of your own distribution chain. All of those functions could happen on your behalf,
and without necessarily bothering through that, by the supplier, such as Del Monte, Dole, and other suppliers,
Renaissance Foods, for example.
[00:47:22]
Q: Why do you think Del Monte continues to invest and operate in the banana segment? It accounts for
almost 40% of Del Monte’s sales but is a low-margin profile business, highly competitive with low barriers to
entry, and subject to volatile price swings due to seasonality and extreme weather. How stable is the market?
Private and confidential 9
DC: All three major banana companies, possibly four now, with Fyffes, they are highly invested in land, and
other assets, for bananas. They’re quite specialised assets that you have. Whether, in the case of land, pretty
much most of the land that grows bananas is very difficult to shift into other crops. Also, the types of
infrastructure you require for bananas is quite unique, in terms of the transportation vessels, ripening
facilities, etc. All of these companies are highly invested in that. You’re right, bananas, as a product, is a low-
margin, highly-competitive industry. However, it’s a high volume item. If you think about it, you have product
that comes into the US – I would have to say over five million boxes a week that come into the United States.
That happens every week, and it’s a continuous cycle, and it uses exactly the same assets, and by filling in your
vessels you maximise the utilisation of your assets. Then, anything in addition to the bananas that you put,
enjoys much better economies in terms of being able to work through incremental cost, because the vessel
would go to the operations one way or another. You have high volume, relatively small margin, already
invested in assets, and it’s a product that is highly demanded, and is turned over very, very fast. That’s one of
the reasons that they maintain it. It allows them to bring in products from the same sourcing locations, at a
relatively lower cost and, also, bananas being one of the largest volumes moving through their retailers, it
gives them better negotiating power over the retailers when it comes to other products as well, and the ability
to introduce other products.
When Chiquita or Dole or Del Monte walk into a retailer, what they do is, they don’t just sell bananas, they sell
the entire portfolio of products, so even though the margins for bananas might be relatively small, albeit at
high volumes, it allows them also to sell their pineapples, which is a much higher margin, or establish
relationships with the produce department, to introduce fresh-cut items, which is even better margins. If you
would ask me, would I go into the banana business today? My answer would be no, but if I was invested, and I
had the scale and the assets, as Dole and Chiquita have, and Del Monte, would I exit that segment? I would be
hard-pressed to find another segment of the produce industry that would provide me the volume of both the
product sales, and efficiency of a vertically-integrated system, as the banana industry has.
[00:52:26]
Q: What are the global opportunities for bananas? What are the implications of Iran opening up its banana
market after a two-year closure?
DC: I think a market like Iran is a significant market. It traditionally absorbed a lot of margin. It allowed
entry, and the excess volume from several markets to be distributed there, therefore alleviating the pressure
on other markets. Having said that, you also mentioned earlier that it’s a highly competitive and low barriers
of entry industry, so I would think that if Iran would open, yes, it will provide an outlet for the excess volume
that exists today, but, within several months, you will see that production will grow to meet that demand. In
the short term, yes, there will be certain gains, and there will be, maybe, a little bit better pricing structure
within the international market, especially in the products that come primarily there from Ecuador and the
Philippines. Not so much from Central America, but in the long run they will be just another point of
distribution, for which the banana industry has accounted for and grew to fulfil.
If you look at, and I typically like to do that, if you think about the per capita consumption in most markets, it
has peaked. It hasn’t been moving significantly over several years now. The only opportunities that existed, in
terms of growth in volume, have been markets that restricted, for a number of different reasons, the
importation of bananas. Once those markets open, there will be a certain level of consumption that the
consumers will reach. In the US it’s in the 20s of pounds, per capita, beyond which, consumers don’t eat more
bananas, regardless of what the price is. The price for bananas is lesser of a factor. The banana industry, or the
banana demand is pretty much pricing elastic at the levels that the banana industry has been operating in the
last several years.
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[00:55:21]
Q: Can you explain the European ban on MRL [maximum residue level] and what it means for the industry?
DC: Basically, government regulations, especially regulations that change the ability to utilise certain agri
chemicals, or the levels of agri chemicals, maximum residue levels of specific agri chemicals, is constant. This
is something that’s been happening over the years. It is not something new. The industry is relatively used to
that, and they have the ability to adapt. What you are seeing right now is the use of specific chemicals due to
their efficacy and their cost advantage. The fact that they’re not using others that might be allowed under the
new regulations, doesn’t mean that they cannot switch. They just will switch, and then it’s going to be an issue
of adjusting accordingly, whether it is for higher cost, or for potentially changing operating practices to make
up for potential impact of lower efficacy over the agri chemicals they’ve been using. For example, if you were to
have an antifungal agri chemical. This is just a made-up case, it’s not a factual case, but if you have companies
using a specific antifungal that is allowed at a certain level of MRLs within the European Union, that allows
the company to export product to Europe, without losing product due to growth of fungi or mould in the pack.
If that changes, the companies, what they will do, they will either pursue other antifungal products that are in
the market, but they do not necessarily have the same chemical composition, therefore they would be allowed
within the industry, but that might be more expected, or they might be looking at other systems where, let’s
say, they might have to double dip, or keep the product in longer baths, in terms of temperature, than they do
now, which would require larger tanks, which increase costs or change the operating procedures, but there are
alternatives. In my opinion, the change of the MRLs, or the change of the allowable agri chemicals within the
industry will not dramatically impact the amount of fruit that enters the market. It might put a certain level of
pressure on the companies to negotiate higher prices due to increased costs. That would have to be played out
within the market, depending on the overall volume and the willingness of all of the players, especially the
smaller players, tactical players, to accept the same prices at a higher cost.
[00:59:07]
Q: What are Del Monte’s most pressing challenges over the next 6-12 months?
DC: One of the things that I suspect, and I don’t have personal knowledge, but given what is publicly known,
in the last few years Del Monte lost a lot of in-house institutional talent. Knowing the produce industry, it
tends to be very much built and reliant on personal contacts and experience, that could be challenging. The
other challenge is the fact that you have a lot of money entering the produce industry from private equity
funds and other groups that tend to have different priorities and horizons. Even though it might not
necessarily be across the board, within the product segment, that creates a different competitive environment
for any company that has been established for a long time. Those are some of the challenges. Other challenges
in the long term, I think you will have to consider, and it’s for all players within the industry, is climate change.
The assets of the company are based on primarily agriculture and production, and as the weather patterns
change, that would require the disposal of certain land assets that are marginal land as the climate changes.
Also, the other thing that would impact, and it’s a challenge for the companies, is the growing lack of,
especially in North America, labour. The companies reliant on migrant labour especially, have been having a
really hard time the several past few years, and unless they’re able to find affordable labour, they will either
have to invest in the significant mechanisation, or they will have to exit the industry or switch to other
commodities. Those are some of the common challenges within the industry.
[01:02:04]
NH: Wonderful. Thank you, Dennis, a really good call, very insightful. Let me close by saying thank you
clients, for joining Third Bridge Forum’s Interview today, if you would like to speak to Dennis in a private call
or meeting, please let your relationship manager know. This now concludes our meeting.
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Transcription ends at 01:02:21 of the recorded material
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