Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister, is visiting Evelien and Bert Depoortere-Vandewaetere's greenhouse Tuesday, November 16. He was invited and received by the local horticultural organization Boerenbond chairperson, Sonja De Becker.
This visit gives the statesman a glimpse of the difficulties and workings of Flemish horticulture. Minister Van Quickenborne was given a guided tour that highlighted the sector's challenges and issues, the Boerenbond shared in an announcement of the visit.
Bert and his wife Evelien run the lettuce farm where they grow multicolor lettuce on a mobile gutter system in new greenhouses. They also cultivate full-soil lettuce heads in their older greenhouses, and they sell their products through the REO Auction. Recently, Bert and Eveline invested in a cogeneration unit, which should be operational by the end of this year.
Source: Boerenbond
