In the Netherlands, a local council will not allow Tas Tomaten to pack more tomatoes from other growers at its location in Zevenhuizen. The tomato grower had asked the municipality if it could increase its packing capacity. That local council is, however, sticking to the appropriate zoning permissions.
Currently, 12,5% of the tomatoes Tas Tomaten packs are from other growers. That, while the facility is only zoned for ten percent. The municipality imposed an order under penalty for exceeding the said percentage, which the grower appealed in December 2021. Tas Tomaten wants to pack more tomatoes from Morocco now that cultivation in the Netherlands is so expensive. The town council does not want more traffic in the area. The grower's lawyer, however, criticizes this position.
It is not known when the appeal will be heard, reports the regional newspaper Gouwe IJssel Nieuws. Last month, Tas Tomaten's cultivation branch was declared bankrupt. Its packaging activities fall outside this. The expansion could have supported a possible restart, writes Gouwe IJssel Nieuws.