What BelOrta does

BelOrta is a Belgian cooperative (BelOrta cv) headquartered in Sint-Katelijne-Waver that operates one of the largest fruit and vegetable auction platforms in Europe, trading up to 4,000 tonnes of produce per day (550,000 tonnes annually) across more than 200 varieties. The cooperative is owned by approximately 1,000 local grower-members who are contractually obligated to sell their entire production exclusively through BelOrta under the 'veilplicht' arrangement, with governance exercised through a 15-member Board of Directors elected by the membership every three years. Operations span nine specialized sites across Flanders and Belgium — Sint-Katelijne-Waver (headquarters and vegetable sales), Sint-Truiden (fruit and cherry sorting), Zoutleeuw (stone fruit), Zellik (soft fruit and strawberries), Glabbeek (hard fruit, conventional and organic), Borgloon (hard fruit sorting), Vrasene (stone fruit), Kinrooi (regional vegetable supply), and Sint-Truiden Meiveld (peak hard-fruit capacity) — each tailored to specific produce categories with temperature- and humidity-controlled storage that limits cold-storage dwell time to under 24 hours.

The company's core technology is a clock auction system: six computerized auction clocks run simultaneously with descending prices, and the first buyer to press their button wins at the current price; the system is complemented by the Simultaan Netwerk (cross-auction bidding network connecting Belgian produce auctions) and the Thuiskoop e-commerce platform that enables remote, computer-based participation. Products are sold under the Flandria (vegetables) and Eburon (fruit) quality labels, classified into Extra, Class I, or Class II grades, and are GLOBALGAP and Vegaplan certified. The portfolio extends beyond raw auction lots to sub-brands including Bio (organic-certified produce), Brainboosters (exam-period snack vegetables marketed for cognitive benefits), and proprietary varieties (BelOmelon, Belopricot, Beloplum), supported by consumer-facing assets such as a seasonal calendar, recipe platform, and a 2026 slogan's positioning of 'Verbonden door smaak / Connectés par le goût' (Connected by Taste).

BelOrta generates revenue primarily through transaction-based commissions on auction sales, with a 55/45 export/domestic mix. The buyer base is horizontally segmented across exporters, supermarket chains, wholesalers, and local shop retailers, while the seller side consists of the ~1,000 grower-members across 11,217 ha. The cooperative's origins trace to 1905 with the first Belgian horticultural associations; the modern entity was formed in 2013 through the merger of Coöbra and Mechelse Veilingen, with Veiling Borgloon and Belgische Fruitveiling joining shortly after.

Name

BelOrta

Legal name

BelOrta cv

Website

https://belorta.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BelOrta is a Belgian grower-owned cooperative that operates one of Europe's largest fruit and vegetable clock auctions, trading up to 4,000 tonnes daily across 200+ varieties for exporters, supermarket chains, wholesalers, and retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Auction and Wholesale Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Market / Produce Market Wholesalers (AFAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fresh Vegetable Wholesale (AFAIACAB)

Keywords

• Fresh produce auction
• Vegetable and fruit wholesale
• Cooperative auction services
• Horticultural supply chain
• Organic produce distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Sint-katelijne-waver

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Auction Commission and Transaction Fees: BelOrta generates revenue through commissions on auction transactions. Producers deliver fresh vegetables and fruit to the auction; buyers bid through the clock system; the cooperative takes a fee on each transaction. The auction serves as the intermediary between approximately 1,000 local growers and buyers including exporters, supermarket chains, wholesalers, and retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

BelOrta operates a cooperative clock auction system that trades fresh vegetables, fruit, and herbs on behalf of approximately 1,000 local grower-members. Up to 4,000 tonnes of produce is auctioned daily via six simultaneous computerized descending-price clocks, with buyers bidding physically on-site or remotely via the Thuiskoop e-commerce platform. The cooperative handles conventional and organic product lines under quality labels Flandria and Eburon, complemented by specialized cooling, sorting, and storage facilities across multiple Belgian sites.

Product overview

BelOrta is a cooperative auction for vegetables and fruit, one of the largest in Europe. Founded in 2013 through mergers including Coöbra and Mechelse Veilingen, the company connects approximately 1,000 local growers with buyers through a transparent clock auction system. The core offering comprises fresh vegetables (35+ varieties including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants), fruit (strawberries, apples, pears, cherries, berries), and herbs sold via six simultaneous computerized auction clocks. BelOrta operates specialized sub-brands including Bio (organic certified products) and Brainboosters (exam-period snack tomatoes and peppers marketed for cognitive benefits). Supporting services include an online seasonal calendar, recipe collections, and e-commerce home purchasing. Products are sold under quality labels including Flandria (vegetables) and Eburon (fruit), with GLOBALGAP and Vegaplan certifications. The auction operates from multiple Belgian sites including Sint-Katelijne-Waver (headquarters), Borgloon, Zellik, and Glabbeek.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BelOrta Vegetables (Groenten)

Quantifiable outcome

• Products reach consumers within 24 hours of delivery to auction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greenyard: Belgian-headquartered global market leader in fresh, frozen, and prepared fruit and vegetables. Overlaps with BelOrta on fresh produce wholesale across Europe and competes for the same grower and supermarket buyer relationships, but operates a much broader, vertically integrated portfolio.
• Total Produce: Irish-headquartered global fresh produce group (now part of Dole plc). Operates a worldwide network of fresh produce sourcing and distribution, comparable to BelOrta on the wholesale distribution side but at far broader international scale.
• Dole plc: Global fresh produce giant following the Total Produce combination. Compares as a broad incumbent in fresh fruit and vegetable distribution with export reach comparable to BelOrta's international markets.
• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Vertically integrated global producer and distributor of fresh fruit and vegetables. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the international fresh produce market where BelOrta competes for export buyer relationships.

Direct peers

• The Greenery: Dutch cooperative subsidiary of Coöperatie DOOR that supplies fresh fruit and vegetables to European retailers. Closely comparable to BelOrta as a Dutch fresh-produce cooperative auction/wholesaler serving supermarket and export buyers with similar grower-member base.
• Coöperatie Hoogstraten: Belgian cooperative auction best known for strawberries and berries. Directly comparable as a Belgian grower cooperative running an auction-based fresh produce model with quality labels serving EU retail customers.
• LAVA (Coöperatieve Veiling): Belgian/Belgian-Dutch cooperative fresh produce auction based in Limburg. Direct peer running a clock auction model for fruits and vegetables supplied to retail and wholesale buyers across Belgium.
• Coöperatie DOOR: Dutch grower cooperative and parent of The Greenery, focused on fresh produce auctions and supply to Dutch retail. Highly comparable to BelOrta as a neighboring cooperative auction with similar member-grower structure and clock-based selling.

Regional players

• Greenyard Prepared Belgium: Division of Greenyard focused on prepared and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables in Belgium and the Netherlands. Adjacent comparator in Belgian fresh-produce value chains where BelOrta's growers supply raw material.

Others

• Vbt (Verbond van Belgische Tuinbouwcoöperaties) member auctions: Flemish federation of Belgian horticultural cooperatives to which BelOrta belongs. Represents and connects the cluster of Belgian produce auctions that share BelOrta's cooperative and VBT-branded crate-pool operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbzjitT6bWPA4mIP1LmicbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CooperatieBelOrta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belorta
• Instagraminstagram.com/belortabelgie
• TikToktiktok.com/@belorta
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cooperatiebelorta
• Xx.com/VeilingBelOrta

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BelOrta