After launching the PIB Horti in China in 2021, the organization has been working hard to help create a more sustainable and profitable horticultural sector in China. On March 13, 2024, a new exciting project was launched. The PIB Horti and the Dutch Greenhouse Delta joined forces and created a K2K (knowledge to knowledge) training program, catering to the increasing demand from the sector for specialized training for new farmers.
The K2K program was successfully launched at the Jiashan Technology Innovation Demonstration Center. K2K is one of the most important projects of the PIB Horti in China to date, transferring Dutch greenhouse growing knowledge to new farmers in China. The training program was implemented by Marc de Ruiter from Horti Synergy, and Dutch Greenhouse Delta members such as Ridder, Van Der Hoeven, and BOAL contributed to the program in the form of online modules. Ridder also participated in the first training week, giving a presentation on their software climate control technology.
Gert Dral, coordinator of the PIB Horti, delivered an opening speech online. He stated that the goal of this important project is to transfer the knowledge and experience of Dutch greenhouse experts to teachers working in Chinese vocational colleges so that they can improve their abilities in offering courses related to greenhouse cultivation and other facility agriculture-related topics.
Mr. Lin Pubin, Chairman of HX (Beijing) Holdings Co. Ltd., also delivered a welcome speech for all trainees. Mr. Lin talked about the Jiashan Sino-Dutch Digital Agriculture Science and Technology Innovation Demonstration Center as a provincial-level new infrastructure pilot project for "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers." The planning of the entire agro-park was done by Jiashan County in close collaboration with Dutch Greenhouse Delta. Jiashan County Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, and HX Netherlands jointly invested in the demonstration center. It is located in the third phase of the Sino-Dutch Industrial Park in Jiashan Economic and Technological Development Zone, covering an area of 120 acres, with a total investment of approximately 200 million yuan, and the construction of high-standard smart glass greenhouses of approximately 50,000 square meters. Mr. Lin looks forward to everyone working together to contribute to the cultivation of new farmers in China.
One of the program lecturers, Jasper, said that everyone learns quickly and that the classroom atmosphere is very dynamic. The trainees appreciate the theory- and practice teaching method a lot, gaining new insights every day. Observing crops at close range, understanding their physiology, and analyzing possible causes of problems and solutions gave every participant a deep understanding of the way greenhouse ecology is interlocking with and mutually influencing the environment. Any solution may create new problems, and even a small adjustment can have a large impact.
The first two training phases of the offline training program are completely full, but there are still some spots available for the third phase, which will take place from April 8 to 12, 2024.
For more information:
PEK-LNV@minbuza.nl