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Jan van Genderen:

"Where the tomato sector stood 10 years ago, the strawberry sector stands today"

Royal Berry, Jan van Genderen's company, is already a major player in the Dutch and international strawberry market, and the ambitious entrepreneur is keen to grow even further. However, since the last expansion, in 2022, things have remained quiet in Bemmel for a while. The reason? There is no further land to build on (yet). "When I tell people that I am also looking outside our current horticultural area to grow, sometimes people still look at me with surprise," he says.

Yet, that is definitely an option for Royal Berry, Jan stressed at Strawberry Day, where he made a presentation. As a young boy of 17, he already had his first greenhouse of his own. After the death of his father, he then made the move to the greenhouse area NEXTgarden, from Poederooijen, together with his wife Jacoline.

Chasing the tomato crop
Nearby Nijmegen, the company grew steadily to 57.5 hectares, now spread over three locations. The strawberry company grows in glass greenhouses, on racks, and in Mini-Air greenhouses, which are advanced tunnel greenhouses.

At the fair, Jan shared his views on the future of strawberry cultivation. "Where the tomato sector stood 10 years ago, the strawberry sector stands today, in 2025. Our sector in 2030 will be at the level of the tomato sector some five years ago." Although Jan also sees that developments are accelerating. "Every step we take must lead towards residue-free, energy-neutral strawberry cultivation. That is the future."

From entrepreneur to business
As an entrepreneur, Jan has already weathered several crises. The financial crisis was the first, followed by Ehec, corona, energy, nitrogen and, according to Jan, the 'labor migration crisis' is now presenting itself as the next one. "And the next crisis is also coming sooner than we all think," he says.

Hearing that, one might think the entrepreneur would want to take it easy for a while. But that doesn't suit Jan. Or in the meantime, that doesn't suit Royal Berry. The strawberry company grew from being Jan's enterprise to one where there is a team full of specialists.

And that is just as well because Jan laughingly acknowledges on stage in Den Bosch that he is not the best at, for example, the administration involved in numerous certifications and new regulations. "If I had to do everything on my own now, I would go crazy. Fortunately, I have specialists in my team who do enjoy this kind of work. Yes, really."

Scaling grower and retail
In five years, by 2030, the strawberry entrepreneur expects 80-90 percent of the strawberry volume from the Netherlands to be grown by a limited number of larger growers. Royal Berry wants to be one of them.

The increase in scale occurring in horticulture is certainly not going to bypass the strawberry sector, although it is still a sector with relatively many smaller, often also solitary growers. According to an increasing number of studies and figures, they, in particular, are finding it difficult to meet new energy developments.

Meanwhile, a joining of forces in retail is also taking place, Jan observes. "Developments that seemed impossible five years ago have now happened." Again, he deals with this in a down-to-earth manner. With a wink: "The phone book of buyers we call is a lot thinner these days."

Breaking the decline in productions
Despite all the steps growers are taking, the ambitious grower notes that strawberry crop productions are now not really growing. Indeed, they sometimes even seem to be declining, hindered by challenges in energy, crop protection, and labor. He says it is therefore time to take a closer look at the current cultivation system, which still closely resembles that of deep into the last century. What innovations can be made to optimize strawberry cultivation and reverse the declining trend in terms of production?

In terms of energy, Jan definitely still believes in the future of CHP. That system has such a high energy yield that there is definitely still room for the smart technology in greenhouse farming. However, there are also newer developments he is keeping an eye on, such as energy-saving techniques (double screens, dehumidification) and new forms of energy (electric heating or hydrogen).

From 'driving a tour', growing strawberries has now become 'racing in Formula 1', according to the Royal Berry founder. "The risks are increasing, which also increases the danger of making one wrong choice for a company." Still, it doesn't deter Jan from having growth ambitions. If it is not already the case, he wants Royal Berry to be one of the companies that matter by 2030. And not just in NEXTgarden.
Royal Berry's newest greenhouse, on opening in April 2023

For more information:
Royal Berry
[email protected]
www.royalberry.eu