Hoogweg Paprikakwekerijen has bought the greenhouse next door. The deal concerns 10 hectares previously owned by Fresunto, part of RedStar. Hoogweg's financial director, Hans Olsthoorn, has confirmed the news. RedStar itself describes it as a "letter of intent" to sell the site, but also confirms Hoogweg as the buyer.
Once the current tomato crop is finished, the greenhouse will be handed over to Hoogweg, who will then convert it for pepper cultivation. A brand-new pepper crop is scheduled to go in next season.
Up until now, Hoogweg Paprikakwekerijen has mainly expanded by building new greenhouses in Luttelgeest and Marknesse. Two more 11-hectare projects are currently being completed. Still, the chance to buy the neighbor's greenhouse was too good to pass up. "We always thought this might happen one day," Hans says. It's not the first time either: back in 2014, Hoogweg acquired another 10-hectare tomato greenhouse from Bramani.
© Geert Peeters | HortiDaily.com
Once converted, the Fresunto greenhouse will be integrated into Hoogweg's large cluster of greenhouses. The company heats its facilities partly with geothermal energy through a heat network, and the former tomato site will also be connected to that system.
With this purchase plus the two new 11-hectare greenhouses under construction, Hoogweg will add a total of 32 hectares by the 2026 season. For now, the grower says there's no more land available for new builds. With more than 200 hectares of greenhouse area soon under their belt, the major pepper producer notes it's "time to consolidate a bit."
For more information:
Hoogweg Paprikakwekerijen 
[email protected]
www.hoogweg.nl
