Dutch grower Ron van Dijk, owner of organic company Groenland,
cultivates sweet pointed peppers, yellow cherry tomatoes, Spanish peppers and tomatoes, as well as 11 other vegetable varieties. The company has been growing organic since 1970, one of the first to do so. The produce finds its way to Scandinavia, France and England, but Germany remains the most important market. With local-for-local on the rise, Groenland is exploring other markets as well, one of them being the domestic one, "although that market is more limited."
Company activities are spread over two locations and crops are divided into six sections. "We’re still a bit short on sections, but the modest number does allow us more control over cultivation. Crops that need the same amount of heat we put together in one department."
Groenland’s biggest challenge is, according to Van Dijk, meeting changeable customer demand. "Now they want vine tomatoes, but we don’t have any yet. We do have some nice cherry tomatoes available, but they’re not in demand at the moment.” However, the grower isn’t too concerned. After all, predicting the market is almost impossible. "The tomatoes are now popular, as the quality of organic produce from Spain is lacking. But this can change in a heartbeat. Spain is supplying organic tomatoes year-round, and this extended stay makes for some hefty competition.”
Van Dijk says the Spanish season is getting ever longer. Organic cultivation takes place on small acreages near Malaga and Almeria, which can go on for most of the year. “Still,” he says, “their quality can’t quite reach ours, so I don’t see us losing our place in the market just yet.”
More information:
Coöperatie Nautilus U.A.
Havenweg 11-C
8251 KB Dronten, The Netherlands
T +31(0)321 328040
F +31(0)321 328049
E [email protected]
www.nautilusorganic.nl
