"Netherlands: "Room for 100 hectare expansion in coming years"

"Growth is needed to meet market demands continuously. Not only growth in year round available quantities, but especially growth in the professionalization of market approach. Trade marketing and chain management are the ways to add value to your product," says Jan Opschoor, director of Dutch producer organization DOOR. He sees many similarities in the vision of DOOR and the sector vision of the Rabobank.

Recently, the Expert Team greenhouse vegetables of the Rabobank visited DOOR and Growers Association Prominent to discuss their common vision. The biggest common factor in both views is to continue to develop into a professional producer organization with sufficient size to produce whatever the market demands.

In addition to top quality products, DOOR sees trade marketing and chain management as the way to add value to the chain. Our marketers invest heavily in building up market-, shelf- and shopping knowledge, according to Jan Opschoor. Together with the customer we discuss how to improve the yield in the category. To develop concepts to seduce the consumer on the shop floor. The Rabobank also sees opportunities to add value with a full range of products, effective marketing, convenience products, distinctive packages, etc.

In order to be able to produce what the market demands, new production sites are built or existing locations are expanded. As a result, the acreage within DOOR grows by 100 hectares in the next few years. In addition, all brands aim to deliver year round. Greenco and Prominent deliver year round by lighting. The lit acreage of Prominent has grown to 157 ha in recent years. For the third year, Purple Pride examines the year round growing of aubergines through a test with supplemental lights in a demo greenhouse. SweetPoint supplies year round products by entering into partnerships with growers in southern Europe.

Rabobank advocates organizational structures that ensure robust businesses. Within DOOR there are already several examples of extensive cooperation between members, by exploitation and/or by placing properties in one company. During the visit of Rabobank, this subject was discussed extensively.