Basil from the Netherlands, in the middle of winter? Until last year, it was a project, but since January, it has been a reality. "We now supply Dutch-grown basil, year-round, guaranteed," says Piet van Vugt. Dutch chives are also available every day of the year at Van Vugt Kruiden, as are edible flowers. These products used to come from outside Europe during the cold season. "The dark winter months no longer hold us back."
Piet van Vugt
"Being able to cultivate basil throughout the year has been a lengthy process. We've been working on it for at least ten years, including all kinds of vertical farm setups, none of which quite worked," says Piet. Vertical farming - growing crops in a fully controlled environment in stacked layers under artificial light - sounded promising. However, in practice, it proved difficult.
"It worked as long as the power wasn't too expensive. Ultimately, it's best to simply build a greenhouse. Sunlight is free." Van Vugt Kruiden's modern greenhouse features controlled ventilation, overpressure, and shade cloths to protect against harsh UV rays. "This year, for the first time, we kept going during the winter. Now we have basil from the Netherlands year-round," Piet explains.
No more dependence
Growing basil and chives in the winter benefits the Dutch supply chain. "Supplies are less dependent on Africa." Not only is there market pressure to avoid imported products as much as possible, but you must also consider the sometimes unpredictable air cargo space availability. "If an order arrives two days late, delivery continuity is jeopardized, and quality suffers," Piet points out.
Although indoor cultivation in the Netherlands is more expensive, local basil and chives are competitively priced when you factor in the costs of flown-in Kenyan or Israeli produce. "You can't grow those herbs well anywhere [in Europe] in winter. Not even in Spain or Italy, two countries that form part of the European herb market, where coriander, flat-leaf parsley, and mint are readily available at affordable prices in January and February. Southern European growers always struggle for two months with basil and chives, which are tricky to cultivate." Diseases and pests have little chance in controlled cultivation, so there is little or no need for crop protection products.
Besides those herbs, there are also developments at the company regarding edible flowers. "We're completely updating our edible flower line. We started growing those 20 years ago, and in 2019, we set up one hectare for stable, year-round Dutch-grown availability. That's boosting exports, particularly to Arab countries," concludes Piet. (PB/PDC)
For more information:
Van Vugt Kruiden B.V.
Hoogzandweg 16
2988 DA Ridderkerk
T: 0180-625660
[email protected]
www.vanvugtkruiden.nl