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Dutch seed breeders again amongst Holland's richest people

Despite the fact that the Dutch greenhouse growers are not known as the richest people in Holland, their suppliers have been able to collect a fortune over the last few decades. According to the latest outcome of the Quote 500, the Dutch equivalent of the Forbes 500, an elite group of owners and founders of Dutch seed breeders are again amongst Holland's 500 richest people.

With a capital of 260 million euros, Piet Mazereeuw of Enza Zaden is listed in 68th position of the list. Apparently the global success of the Campari tomato transferred seeds into gold for Enza.

Seed breeders Anton van Doornmalen, Ben Tax and Maarten Zwaan of Rijk Zwaan are respectively ranked at positions 182, 187 and 191 of the list. Their capital is estimated at 110 million euros.

New on the list this year are brothers Peter and Paul Koppert of Koppert Biological Systems. They entered the ranking at 482nd position with an estimated capital of 43 million euros. According to the Quote magazine, the two brothers share their stocks with their nephew and managing director Henri Oosthoek.





In the overview of the richest families of the Netherlands, two more seed breeders are represented. The sale of their vegetable seed business to Monsanto in 2008, made the De Ruiter family one of the richest in Holland; they are ranked as the 10th richest family, with a total capital of 550 million euros.

The Beemsterboer family of Bejo Zaden are ranked as the 38th richest family of Holland, with a capital of 175 million euros.

Noteworthy is also the capital of the sisters Annie and Margriet Beekenkamp. The young plants and packaging business brought the two sisters 79 million euros and a ranking as the 277th richest inhabitant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.


Source: Quote