Alain Tulpin leads an enviable life, one might think. He works for six months, then spends the other half of the year basking in the Spanish sun or tending to his newly-acquired farm in Flanders. Sounds like a healthy work-life balance. At least at first glance. But the reality is a little more complex, as he explained in an interview with CargoForwarder Global at the recent Fruit Logistica trade fair in Berlin.
Hard work, not laziness, is his credo. It took him years to become one of Europe’s largest strawberry importers. Though, on his way up, it certainly helped that his family has been in the fruit business since 1912. Today, the Tulpin Group operates 45 refrigerated trailers, but rents additional ones if needed. This season, 30 more were needed.
Widespread network
Nowadays, the strawberry specialist operates branches at the airports of Ostend, Brussels, and Liège. Tulpin is also present at eleven other European airports (through local representatives), including Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Paris-CDG, and Amsterdam. In addition to strawberries, the range of imports includes flowers, plants, asparagus, fish, and meat stemming from Colombia or Honduras.
November to March is traditionally strawberry peak season. This delicious fruit accounts for 80% of the Group’s total turnover. As soon as the season is over in late winter or early European spring, and the last shipment has been delivered to the consignees, preparations begin for the new harvest in November. Capacity agreements with airlines must be negotiated early on, and charter contracts agreed upon. In some cases, the Tulpin Group also rents the cargo holds of passenger aircraft to transport its own shipments when demand exceeds available capacity.
Fruitful year
Tulpin says that the ‘25/’26 strawberry season was particularly successful. His group imported 20,000 tons – most of them from Egypt. (An increase on the previous year’s 15,000 tons). The majority was flown in via Ostend Airport in Belgium, with other shipments also arriving via Hahn Airport (HHN) or Maastricht (MST). Tulpin’s key contractual carrier is Egyptair Cargo, which flew to Ostend several times a day during the peak season, operating widebody A330F complemented by smaller A321P2F aircraft. Due to Egyptair Cargo’s e-commerce commitments, Cairo-based AirMaster jumped in and secured the air transport of strawberries to European destinations, from the end of November until Christmas. Royal Jordanian flights completed the supplies.
Strawberry accord
However, in mid-January, Ostend suddenly became a bottleneck for the strawberry flows. Local farmers blocked the airport in protest of the Mercosur agreement between the EU and four Latin American countries. This meant that strawberry-loaded trucks bound for the UK were temporarily unable to leave Ostend and travel via the Channel Tunnel to deliver the goods to wholesalers in or around London. As this fresh produce is very temperature-sensitive and therefore a perishable commodity, the strawberries were at risk of spoiling if the blockade at the airport continued for a longer time. However, a ‘strawberry agreement’ negotiated by Ostend’s Mayor, John Crombez, and representatives of the local farming community, saved them from this fate. After lengthy consultations, Tulpin’s trucks were finaly allowed to pass the blockade.
In an average season, Tulpin operates between 15 and 18 trucks a day, loaded with strawberries, from continental Europe to the UK.
Armyworm endangers crops
Danger always lurks on the horizon, as the armyworm has taken root in North Africa. The pest originates from the USA, but has made its way across the Atlantic and is spreading rapidly. In addition to corn and wheat, it also infests strawberry plantations, causing considerable damage. It is therefore important to permanently monitor the fields in order to detect the worm at an early stage. Plant protection agencies in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands are meanwhile on alert to stop the further advance of the invasive pest. “During inspections of our imports, professionals detected only a single armyworm in a strawberry shipment we imported,” Alain sums up. He hopes it stays that way.
