Leading Dutch advisory body DLV Plant is to open a subsidiary in the UK on January 1, 2008.

DLV Plant UK Ltd is a joint venture company with independent consultants, Soft Fruit Solutions (SFS).

All four full-time advisors of SFS will make the transfer to DLV Plant UK, which will initially focus on providing advisory services to strawberry growers and growers of other soft fruits. “The guiding principle is a high service standard and personal contact with each client,” said Jacco van der Wekken, director of DLV Plant. “In the coming years the advisory team will be further expanded and become active in other fresh produce sectors. “This joint-venture with Soft Fruit Solutions…helps consolidate our position with leading edge berry growers in the UK and provides a platform to significantly expand our activities in this important international market.”

The UK arm will be managed by Dennis Wilson, who has wide experience in consultancy work with strawberry growers throughout the UK and Eire. “A key aspect of the new company’s activity will be to develop close co-operation with the advisors of DLV Plant in the Netherlands, in order to maximise the synergy and exchange of knowledge to our combined client base,” said Wilson.

DLV Plant’s activities are focused on advisory and research projects in the Netherlands and other countries. The company employs a 160 advisors, researchers and project managers, and has now offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, Russian Federation, Serbia and now the UK, providing support to agri-business clients throughout Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East.