Maarten De Paep (31) and Yasmine Smeets (31) of Aardbeien De Paep in Sint-Gillis-Waas have harvested the first strawberries of the season. In the 1-hectare greenhouse, the first crop still came off the plant on schedule, they tell the Gazet van Antwerpen. "Due to the dark days in January and February, things seemed to turn out differently for a while, but the favorable weather of recent days has allowed us to start selling the first strawberries at the ideal time." In the paper, they also talk about how they deploy a UV-C robot against mildew at their nursery, where they also sell strawberries in strawberry vending machines at the roadside.
Demonstration robot in November 2024. Photo: Facebook Strawberries De Paep