At the Strawberry Day in Den Bosch yesterday, much of the conversation initially focused on wintery adventures involving snow and icy roads. Before long, however, attention shifted—as it traditionally does—to the soft fruit sector, with all its opportunities, challenges, and successes. The words in the headline referred to the successful first year of the promotional campaign for Dutch soft fruit. Such a chain-wide collaboration to stimulate promotion is quite unique. The phrase could just as easily have applied to everyone who managed to make it to Den Bosch despite the winter weather.
As is tradition, Adri Bom-Lemstra, Chair of Glastuinbouw Nederland, officially opened Strawberry Day. She was the first speaker introduced by the day's hosts, Henny van Gurp of Glastuinbouw Nederland and Klaas Walraven of Delphy, who guided the programme from the stage at the 1931 Congress Centre. Unlike previous years, the programme consisted of three presentation blocks rather than four, covering a wide range of topics. Compared to other years, growers themselves were less frequently represented on stage.
On the exhibition floor, however, there was no shortage of growers. Despite the wintry conditions, many attendees were pleasantly surprised by how many people they were still able to meet and talk to in Den Bosch. Once again, around 750 participants attended, as Henny announced during the opening. "At nine o'clock, many were still on the road," he added.
© Thijmen Tiersma | HortiDaily.com
Chair Adri Bom-Lemstra addressed the audience digitally. Although there was ultimately no video feed, the audio connection was strong, her message came through clearly, and the Strawberry Day could truly get underway.
"This must not fail"
Bom-Lemstra had turned back while travelling and therefore delivered her opening address via video link. She reflected on the theme of "responsible greenhouse horticulture" and the sector's ambition to become fully circular by 2050. This is not only a clear sustainability goal, but also geopolitically significant. She pointed, for example, to Donald Trump's confrontational stance, noting that it underlines the importance for countries to reduce dependence on others. Closing material loops is therefore a smart strategy, and greenhouse horticulture is committed to working towards this.
Labour was another key topic in her opening remarks. The Netherlands has determined that a sector-wide ban on temporary agency work is legally possible—"to Europe's great surprise," Bom-Lemstra noted. Such a ban could pose a serious risk to greenhouse horticulture if it were to be implemented. The "woody soft fruit" sector was mentioned specifically in this context. To avoid the risk of such a ban, Bom-Lemstra urged the audience to prioritise good employment practices and responsible hiring.
Energy policy was also high on the political agenda. The possible inclusion of greenhouse horticulture in ETS2 and the proposed blending obligation for green gas continue to loom over the sector. While the government intends to compensate the sector, Bom-Lemstra said that although the compensation plan for the next three to four years "doesn't look too bad," Glastuinbouw Nederland remains unconvinced—if only because the sector is looking beyond 2030. There are also serious concerns about CO₂ availability. Intensive lobbying is underway to warn policymakers about the risks these new measures pose to greenhouse horticulture. "We are pulling out all the stops," Bom-Lemstra said. "This must not fail."
© Thijmen Tiersma | HortiDaily.com
Wilco van den Berg of GroentenFruit Huis
Soft fruit campaign a success
Fortunately, there was also positive news. The soft fruit promotional campaign has clearly gained traction. Bom-Lemstra highlighted it as a strong example of supply-chain collaboration aimed at increasing consumption. Wilco van den Berg of GroentenFruit Huis shared concrete figures: by 2025, consumption of products such as strawberries has increased by 9% among consumers aged 18–35. "We've done it," Wilco said proudly, speaking on behalf of all project partners. The campaign was first launched in Den Bosch in 2024.
This year, the campaign focuses on a stronger "call to action." While many consumers have already been reached, the goal is to ensure that their positive perception of Dutch strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries—on shelves in the Netherlands, Belgium, or Germany—also results in an (additional) purchase.
Although strawberries were not for sale at the various trade stands in Den Bosch on Wednesday, visitors were able to taste them. Gijs Heineke of Albert Heijn also spoke at the event; more on that will follow on this channel. A full photo report of the exhibition will be published on Friday. Today, the International Soft Fruit Conference is taking place as well, also in Den Bosch.
© Thijmen Tiersma | HortiDaily.com
