The concerns about the survival of sustainable greenhouse horticulture in the Westland are not new. Growers have been worried for years. Numerous letters, signed by 'The Concerned Sustainable Greenhouse Growers' and 'Preserving the Clock=Preserving the Cooperative', were sent to the government. It did not come to a meeting with the members of government.
This is why a new letter was sent to the government's advisory councils because the growers are tired of the industry constantly encountering so much incomprehension. Some growers even fear that they will all be gone in 20 years if nothing changes, they said last summer. With this week's general elections, the growers are once again expressing their great concerns.
Protect the driving force that is horticulture
They refer to warnings from many experts from inside and outside the industry, including professors Rob van Wijk and Arnoud Boot, and the Nijkamp advisory committee, which in 2010 already presented an advisory report on a 'vital horticultural cluster in 2040'.
According to the growers, clear agreements should be made about the Westland as the driving force of a unique innovative sector. While the value of the greenhouse horticultural industry is recognized abroad, this does not seem to be (sufficiently) the case in the Netherlands.
If no clear agreements are made, a catastrophe looms, according to the concerned growers.
Final blow
According to them, the threat comes from all sides: advancing cities because of the expansion of The Hague and Rotterdam, advancing industries in the port of Rotterdam, an orchestrating government and patronizing bureaucracy of regional and national governments and organizations, and danger from within.
According to the growers, there is mismanagement at Royal FloraHolland, among others, which does not serve the members but harms them. Meanwhile, the sector is fragmented and as a collective, it no longer knows how to make a good stand against the government.
According to the growers, the possible disappearance of part of this 'stronghold' in Honselersdijk and thus the release of 54 hectares for housing 'or other creative implementations' would be the final blow. All in all, it means that the Dutch horticultural sector can no longer be competitive abroad.
In talks
The growers feel unheard and use firm one-liners in an open letter. However, they do want to talk to the members of government in order to go deeper into the issues. This just hasn't happened yet.
Above all, the growers do not want to stand by and watch the industry being destroyed. Reason to 'beg' for help, understanding, and action in several letters last year. And a meeting.
The solution? The letter ends with: "We want an honest and respectful dialogue. Appreciation for the growers and their livelihoods. Attention to the squandering before it is too late and the Westland, as we have known it for a hundred years, is gone."