On October 1, Valto received the keys to a greenhouse with 17 departments on the Hoefweg in De Lier, with which director Thorben Looije is taking the next step in his growth ambition.
Valto is a Dutch family business specialising in natural crop protection products. Their best-known product, V10, protects tomato plants against the highly damaging pepino mosaic virus. The research into new, natural crop protection products has so far been done at various locations.
After the imminent modifications to the new greenhouse complex, Valto's researchers will be able to carry out larger tests on several crops and all in one place, close to the family business's office at Leehove.
Thorben, in the foreground, at the new facility
The new research facility fits in with the growth plans of the company, which develops and supplies biocontrol agents. "We believe in the power of nature," Thorben Looije says. "We develop natural crop protection products to make crops resilient to plant diseases. This is a perfect fit within the goals of a greener Europe, but also those of growers, who also attach importance to health, sustainability and the environment."
Natural protection
The government uses Green Deals to encourage companies to reduce their impact on the environment. For greenhouse horticulture and agriculture, this means using more natural crop protection. Valto wants to respond to this need by conducting more research and tests and developing new biocontrol agents. The new greenhouse will make this possible in the future.
Innovation in legislation
According to Thorben, a condition for innovation is that legislation innovates too: "Our customers want a healthy harvest and good returns. They ask us to help them prevent diseases in their crops. We are happy to do that with the help of nature, but then the legislation has to be adapted. The approval procedure for natural crop protection products now takes about 8 to 10 years. Fortunately, more and more people in The Hague and Brussels are realizing that legislation must grow along with us if we want to meet the European goals."
For more information:
Thorben Looije
Valto
thorben@valto.nl
www.valto.nl