Dutch marketer The Greenery has given its backing to ForwardFarming Fruit, a new partnership project that will see it work closely with Bayer CropScience, growers and horticultural consultants to create what are described as “future-proof” sources of soft fruit supply in the Netherlands.
The Greenery’s chief executive confirmed the plan at the recent opening of a new and expanded packing and coldstorage facility for soft fruit near Utrecht.
The renovated facility, which belongs to Schalkwijk-based soft fruit grower and project partner Van Garderen, will play a central role in the project’s future development.
It will be used primarily for redcurrants and blueberries, offering additional cooling space for around 275 tonnes of fruit in addition to the existing 225-tonne capacity.
According to Anton van Garderen, a modern heat exchange system on the site will enable warmth from the cooling evaporators to be used to heat the floor in another part of the facility.
Alongside Van Garderen, The Greenery and BayerCropScience, advisory service Centrale Adviesdienst Fruitteelt is also contributing to the ForwardFarming Fruit initiative.
