Agriculture is considered to be one of the most difficult industries to recover money. Long payment terms and high credit limits are usual for agricultural companies, and this makes it easier for bad debtors to take advantage of the situation. In this industry there are a lot of perishable products such as fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants, which cannot be returned or seized. Byrival, an international debt collection agency, has numerous agricultural clients worldwide and debt collection solicitors who know this industry like no other.
Fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants are examples of perishable products. The export markets of these products are huge and located worldwide. It’s not strange that a medium sized exporter of perishable products easily has customers in 20+ countries. The problem is that these products cannot be returned or seized by a debt recovery agent. Once it is overdue, the product you have send is already gone.
Perishable products are sold on a daily basis and require the best transportation methods to arrive in good condition. Unfortunately, shipments sometimes arrive damaged, because the truck’s cooler was broken or the flowers were burning in the sun at Miami International Airport, resulting in large claims. Who takes responsibility for this damage and how to collect this debt from your customer?
The agricultural industry knows long payment terms. Between 40 to 60 days is usual, but it’s not unusual that invoices are paid after 120 days. By the time a debt collection agency is involved, even more time has passed. The longer you wait to hand over your case to a B2B debt collection agency, the more difficult it will be to collect the debt.
Contracts and signed agreements are rare in the agricultural industry. Many suppliers don’t ask the debtor to sign an agreement, as it’s ‘not usual’ and ‘the competitors don’t do so either’. This makes the legal position of the supplier weaker compared to suppliers in other industries. As a debt collection agency for small business, we know how to handle these situations, but always advise our clients to start using contracts.
We work on a No Cure = No Pay base, which means that you don’t have to pay any commission fees if we didn’t recover your money. If we do succeed, we send you a commission fee invoice which might have already been paid by the debtor.
For each case we charge start-up fees between €75,- and €175,-. Why? Because we are not a large B2B collection agency that accepts thousands of cases per month, without even being able to properly handle your case. But we are very clear: there will be no other unexpected costs or small print in our agreements.
We strive to solve your case in the amicable procedure, to keep costs low and solve the case as quickly as possible. Legal procedures are expensive and time-consuming. Around 95% of the cases we solve, are solved in the amicable procedure.
For some cases, a legal procedure is needed to recover your money. Byrival works with many different law firms worldwide, so we always have a specialized lawyer in the country of your debtor.
Our specialism. A personal visit to your debtor by our international debt collectors, is the most effective and quick way to recover your money. Our specialists travel all around the world to collect money on behalf of our customers. Yes, worldwide.
You always have your personal contact, who is fully aware of your case(s). You can send your personal contact an email or call him/her to ask for an update or discuss about the strategy.
We are happy to answer your questions. Feel free to contact one of our debt collection specialists today to discuss about your case and our strategy.
This directive aims to combat late payments in commercial transactions and is applicable to the agricultural industry. It sets maximum payment terms and allows for the charging of statutory interest on late payments. This directive significantly impacts how agricultural businesses manage their receivables and conduct debt collection, as it provides a clear framework for the timing and method of payments, and the penalties for late payments.
This EU regulation establishes a legal framework for cross-border insolvency, including agricultural debt recovery. It coordinates insolvency proceedings across Member States for debtors with assets or creditors in multiple EU countries. It offers clarity for agricultural businesses in cross-border insolvency, ensuring the recognition of judgments and protection of creditors’ rights in such scenarios.
This directive safeguards consumers, especially farmers, from unfair contract terms in professional agreements like credit contracts. It targets terms that significantly imbalance the parties’ rights, disadvantaging the consumer. In agricultural debt, unfair terms in credit agreements can be contested, mandating debt collectors to adhere to fair terms standards.
The Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD) sets guidelines for managing failing credit institutions and investment firms. It affects agricultural debt collection by influencing how banks address non-performing loans and insolvencies, including in agriculture. The directive seeks to manage financial failures to maintain stability and limit taxpayer losses, while honoring creditor claim hierarchy, covering agricultural debtors.
Byrival, as an international debt collection agency, is equipped to handle debt collection across various industries globally. Over the past 22+ years, we’ve developed extensive expertise in certain sectors due to a high volume of clients. Do you have cases outside these industries? No worries, we can help you!
Recovering money from non-paying debtors in the Agriculture industry is not easy due to several factors:
Yes, Byrival is specialized in international debt collection for the agricultural industry. With a track record spanning over 22 years, we’ve built a robust reputation among numerous esteemed clients in this sector. Our specialized debt collection agents know how to handle international cases, including claim situations, like no other.
If there is a claim or dispute regarding the supplied products, usually about quality or damage, Byrival will review the sales agreement and documentation first. We then contact the debtor to discuss about the claim situation and try to reach a settlement agreement. Sometimes the full debt is paid, but in other cases an agreement for a smaller percentage is necessary. Our international debt recovery agents always aim to find an amicable solution during disputes.
Successful international debt collection in the horticulture or agriculture industry requires specific documentation such as detailed invoices, transport documents (CMR or AWB) and other relevant correspondence. If available, signed contracts or sales agreements will be very useful and are even required in some countries, but since many companies in the agriculture industry don’t use contracts, we are used to handle cases without them. Byrival will guide you through the entire process.
Every company wants to prevent itself from future debts. For agricultural companies we have a great solution: AgroCheck. Check out our sister company at www.AgroCheck.com, offering credit information for the agriculture and horticulture industry worldwide.
