Tag Archives: Netherlands

Dutch growers struggling to repair hail damaged glass

According to reports from The Netherlands, Dutch greenhouse growers are struggling to find enough workers and companies to repair significant hail damage.

Storms on 24 June, some of which damaged top fruit in the south east of England, are reported to have destroyed 150 hectares of glass in the Noord-Brabant region and damaged another 50 hectares. In total the damage has been estimated at between €70 and €100 million.

Although insurance companies and financial institutions like Rabobank have been working to help growers, greenhouse construction and repair companies have said they cannot find enough staff to meet the demand for rapid repairs, with some growers worried they will not be back up and running in time for the next season.

Photo Caption: One of the hailstones which fell at the end of June

Photo Credit: @SuperSaartje/Twitter

The post Dutch growers struggling to repair hail damaged glass appeared first on Hort News on 13 July 2016.

HZPC members paid more than €3/kg for 2015 crop

Grower members of the Dutch potato breeder and seed producer co-operative HZPC Holland B.V. will receive a final confirmed price of €30.28 per 100 kg of seed produced during the 2015 harvest season.

The figure is 2.6 per cent higher than the provisional figure released at the end of March and is a significant increase on last year’s final price, although still more than €3 less than in 2013. The average yield last year was 42.9 tonnes per ha, higher than in previous seasons.

Gerard Backx, CEO of HZPC, explained, “Crop 2015 is characterized by the high yields. Compared to previous years, there were a lot of seed potatoes available. We are pleased to be able to announce that we sold a record quantity of these seed potatoes from the Dutch pool. The previous record sales volume was for Crop 2010, but current year’s volume of seed potatoes sold from the pool is 3% higher. Crop 2010 was somewhat comparable to the current season, with high yields per hectares and a favourable market. But for Crop 2015 the international market was certainly less willing than in 2010.

“Last year the European market for seed potatoes was very limited because of the low prices for ware potatoes. This season the European market has recovered to a demand of a regular size.”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The post HZPC members paid more than €3/kg for 2015 crop appeared first on Hort News on 23 June 2016.