Dubai: A standalone auction site for Emirati dates? Yes, Abu Dhabi’s Agthia Group has got that covered.
The F&B company, one of the region’s biggest, has launched eZad, which will allow B2B auctioning of its dates portfolio. Agthia owns Al Foah, one of the leading names in the world when it comes to dates processing.
In the first phase, eZad will source dates from farmers in the UAE and begin listing from the start of the harvest season, which is typically in August. Subsequently, eZad’s scope will be gradually expanded to other markets.
Farmers will list their dates for auction in eZad through a certification system that grades dates under reliable market standards. The auction listings will be made available to buyers for 48 hours. Buyers will be able to filter the listings based on preferences such as price, date type, quantity and quality.
Once the deal is struck, buyers can collect the dates purchased from one of eZad’s warehouses or select from any of the services on offer, including storage, packaging, loading, fumigation, washing and delivering the dates to world-wide locations.
Help big and small farmers alike
Alan Smith, CEO, Agthia Group said: “The eZad platform has been created to bring transparency, convenience and standardisation to the dates industry, through the technology and services we provide. Our goal is to link small and big farmers directly to bulk date buyers via a single, simple and innovative platform.
“By creating this direct link, previously hidden margins as well as travel expenses would be eliminated thereby offering a cost-effective solution to buyers. The tailor-made platform addresses the pain points of all stakeholders involved across the value chain.”
