When VKB was founded over 100 years ago, it was built on three distinct principles. Those principles were to supply necessary agricultural services, mutual bargaining of agricultural inputs and to ensure that the best prices were obtained for producers’ goods.
Today, these principles still form the backbone of all VKB’s decisions. The VKB Trade division’s motto, “Each farmer who’s farming today must still be farming in ten years’ time”, anchors the principles.
With over 70 branches and depots nationwide, the VKB Group strives to effect and maintain a competitive advantage for its clients. This is done by ensuring that clients derive value from products and services.
That value is obtained by supplying unique yet necessary products and services, as well as providing quality products at the right price.
The producer comes first
At VKB, the company also wants producers to be more effective and to farm more economically. This is why it reduced its input costs and increased the value of its products.
Every producer knows that nature’s phenomena carry a big risk for them. To mitigate this risk, VKB Trade generates additional cash business by, among other things, focusing on processing producer products in its own factories. The consequence of this is the realisation of VKB Foods stores.
When it comes to inputs, VKB has managed to secure lucrative deals with all the major role players in the market. The growth experienced by VKB over the past few years have allowed it to use its economy of scale to bargain for the best prices for producers.
The inputs include the following:
- seed;
- fertiliser;
- chemicals;
- fuel;
- animal feed;
- animal medication;
- irrigation; and
- fencing.
VKB also supplies a wide variety of products to meet the needs of contractors, other businesses, as well as the general public. Available in retail stores, these product groups include the following:
- hardware;
- consumer goods;
- building material;
- pet products;
- automotive; and
- electronic products.
With VKB Foods, the idea was to bring products manufactured in its factories to the market as economically as possible. Products are bought directly from the industries within the VKB Group and sold to consumers at competitive prices.
Brands such as Grain Field Chickens, Super Sure and Magnifisan represent excellent quality chicken, bread, cake and bread flour, as well as maize meal.
These products are supplied by VKB Foods directly to the consumer, and the company’s footprint in the general grocery market has also increased significantly.
Through VKB Trades, it really strives to supply the needs of all its clients and producers in the areas where it trades. The company also pushes to make a difference, and to add value in the community.
ALSO READ: VKB has a head start in the mechanisation race
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