Dick Ridder calls on Dutch sector after fire
"Horticulture sector, help your Cretan colleagues!"
Devastating fire
On April 21st a fire hit the region of Lerapetra. 10,000 hectares of nature and buildings were destroyed in a couple of hours. Also, a large number of greenhouses- of wood or aluminium, covered with foil, went up in flames. The area, with an acreage of 1,200 hectares, is the most important horticultural district of Crete.
"Growers who were not hit by the fire cannot sell their crop because of smoke and soot damage," says Dutchman Dick Ridder, who's lived on the island for years. According to him, the growers get no help from insurance companies and from the government. There is emergency support to assist in the recovery of irrigation systems - but more help is needed, he says. "Crete, as a supplier of fruit and vegetables for Greece, holds up reasonably, but the devastation for the district is considerable as is the human suffering."
Help sought
That is why he has called upon the Dutch horticultural sector: help your Greek colleagues. "We are looking for ways to do so. Yesterday, I spoke with a grower who indicated that in the Netherlands many greenhouses are in storage - but here we do not need glasshouses. We need foil coverings,” he says. "That is why we also seek other forms of aid. Greenhouses need to be rebuilt. Seeds and plants must be repurchased, machinery and equipment purchased. We are looking for people who can make a fundamental contribution."
The season will last another two months on Crete - then it gets too hot. In August the greenhouses are prepared for the new season.
On the island a statue can be found of Paul Kuijpers. In the 20th century, the Dutchman introduced greenhouse cultivation on Crete.
For more information or help:
Dick Ridder
Mirtos, Southern Crete
0030 - 693 2735 224
[email protected]
