Despite the difficulties currently being experienced in various markets, the Netherlands remains a leading exporter of vegetables, grown both outdoors, the season for which commences in May, and indoors. Total export volumes were up last year, according to Anton Maris of The Greenery, in spite of the growing number of obstacles to sending to the important Russian market.
'While exports to Germany and the UK have shown a slight increase, exports to a number of other countries has been levelling off,' he says. 'Stringent import regulations in Russia played a large part in reducing export volumes to this country considerably. Additionally, an increase in Russia’s own production has also had an impact on the Netherlands’ export position.'
Italy, on the other hand, has been a different story entirely, growing significantly as a consumer market for Dutch outdoor vegetables. 'Far more vegetables such as chicory, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, radishes and beets were imported into Italy than in previous years,' says Mr Maris.
As a producer of outdoor vegetables, the Netherlands’ role is primarily to supplement the assortment of vegetables grown in various European member states, according to Mr Maris. 'To retain this position and expand on it, if possible, the country will need to play some of its trump cards,' he continues. 'Concrete examples include a high quality of producte and efficient design of operations. The Greenery, a leading European producer with a supply volume of over 200,000 tonnes of outdoor vegetables, aims to put these cards on the table to play a winning hand.'
In the province of North Holland, where a large proportion of the outdoor vegetable production is based, various growers’ associations of The Greenery work together to improve the efficiency of logistics operations and to serve their customers more quickly.
'All growers take their products to the Tolpoort distribution centre,' explains the company’s Pieter van Dongen. 'Cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts and chicory are all cooled and packaged centrally, and distributed to customers on demand. A number of new projects involving retailers were initiated in 2009 based on harvesting ‘on demand’.'
This closed chain between growers and retailers allows products to be supplied to the customers’ distribution centres within 24 hours of harvesting, he continues. This requires investment from growers, The Greenery and the end customer alike. The ensuing profit results from lower costs and a strengthening of relationships between growers and customers.
'Thanks to an efficiently designed production process, The Greenery ensures that products reach consumers faster than was previously the case,' adds Mr Maris. 'It goes without saying that such an improvement will only stimulate consumption.'
Additional initiatives to stimulate consumption have been linked to innovation. Last year, The Greenery introduced a new outdoor vegetables concept, with vegetables packed in handy double family-size packages accompanied by recipes. This year will see The Greenery’s first harvest of Bellaverde long-stemmed broccoli in week 24. Until now, this product was only available via import, according to Mr van Dongen. 'It is already quite popular in the UK,' he says, 'and the Greenery has the exclusive cultivation rights for this product in the Netherlands.'
A third element that can strengthen the position of outdoor vegetable production in the Netherlands is promotion, Mr van Dongen continues. 'Two years ago, the Netherlands launched a chicory campaign in the UK to stimulate consumption during the traditional winter period,' he says. 'This year, a campaign was launched to increase the popularity of chicory in the summer as well. Although chicory is traditionally a winter vegetable, it can now be grown year-round. Consumers should be informed of this, for example with suitable recipes.'
Sustainability is the final element with which the Dutch outdoor sector aims to distinguish itself. This concerns issues such as residue management and energy consumption, Mr Maris states.
'Energy consumption has become increasingly important in the production process,' he says. 'Currently solar panels are being installed on the premises of several growers, with the aim of reducing their carbon footprint. A leading grower of Brussels sprouts in the northern part of the Netherlands has equipped its harvesting machines with specially developed GPS monitors, increasing the efficiency of the machines and cutting back on the amount of fuel they use. In combination with the excellent quality of the product, these elements will all contribute to the differentiation of Dutch outdoor vegetables.'
