Dutch Horticultural sector contributes to food security in South Africa

During the visit of the Dutch Minister Ploumen of Foreign Trade & Development, a big step has been taken in the collaboration on Horticulture between the two countries. The signing of the collaboration between a Dutch consortium and Jomajoco, lettuce grower in Gauteng, gives a start to the pilot on developing high Greenhouse-technologies appropriate for South African markets and climate conditions. This pilot is the third of the three pilot programmes in the SMART-project, focussing on low-tech solutions to high-tech.

Harm Maters (Greenport Holland International) and Johan van den Bosch (Jomajoco) signing the contract

The contract is a formalisation of a joint development between South African and Dutch experts. The challenge of the project is bringing in technologies and practices that fit the local growing conditions. SMART realised pilot ventures with lead investors to test and operate SMART solutions. The launching partners are committed to share technologies within their value chains and beyond. Long-term partnership agreements ensure this role.

Smart Adaptive Sustainable Horticulture (SMART Horticulture)

SMART is a public private partnership between Dutch leading horticulture companies and knowledge institutions. In this program, the partners aim to make horticulture technologies affordable and applicable for farmers in Africa. Sustainable development of the horticultural sector is important to realise food security, reduce poverty and protect the environment. Current bottlenecks in South Africa (pilot on mid-tech and high-tech) and Rwanda (low-tech) are low productivity, suboptimal functioning supply chains, and market inefficiencies at trade and retail level. Most farmers lack necessary recourses and have difficulties to produce enough yields and maintain quality while handling and storing their produce. Let alone with selling to the market.

Greenport Holland International consortium

SMART works in South Africa and Rwanda, at different levels of technology. This allows the partners to gain experience in different settings, with different circumstances. It will make the adaption process more efficient, once the tech solutions are ready they will be extended to other regions. Greenport Holland International is managing this project. Besides leading Dutch horticultural companies Wageningen UR, TNO, BoP Inc. are part of the SMART consortium. The project is co-financed by the FDOV-programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs / RVO.

For more information
Greenport Holland International
Lisette Bakker,
T: +31 (0)6 83 172 174
[email protected]
www.greenporthollandinternational.nl