Curator Souren has regained control over 22 hectares of greenhouse space in Steenbergen and Made, the Netherlands, since last Wednesday. This was achieved after winning a preliminary injunction, followed by a swift eviction within 48 hours. From an office above one of the greenhouses, he announced that he has ultimately taken over the operation of the greenhouses' with the full cooperation of the brothers'.
"I will be operating the greenhouses myself," he emphasizes. "This means that I, with the help of a knowledgeable team, will be harvesting myself, and we will also manage the distribution." The greenhouses are filled with bell peppers and cucumbers. "We will be cutting the first cucumbers this afternoon or tomorrow."
At the end of last year, anticipating a win in the preliminary injunction, the curator had already posted a call to find interested parties in cultivation and the greenhouses. The team he is now working with did not emerge from that call. However, there was significant interest from the market following the call.
Sale of Greenhouses
How long the current situation with the curator operating the greenhouses will last, the curator cannot and does not wish to say at this moment. "Let me put it this way: as soon as I can sell the greenhouses, I will sell them."
Regaining control of the greenhouses in Made and Steenbergen took the curator more than a year. He realizes that eviction following a court ruling is a 'blunt way' of proceeding, but it was 'necessary under the circumstances.' "You don't make friends this way, but I can only say that after the ruling, I received full cooperation from the tenants."
He is pleased to note, based on feedback from his team in the greenhouses, that the plants are in good condition. "It was a fine operation, and I believe it has been well managed recently." The lease was done without the curator's involvement, and the lease price was also far too low, thus leading to an eviction in a case that started with a bankruptcy at the end of 2022. A not so ordinary bankruptcy, as evident from the handling of the preliminary injunction and the bankruptcy updates already published. When there are new updates, we will share them on our channels.
Index photo: image of the Steenbergen greenhouse complex