Netherlands

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Halls establishes operations in the Netherlands

Halls has acquired Columbus Exotics, a Netherlands-based company specialising in the sourcing and marketing of exotics produce within Europe.

Halls B.V. celebrates its 125th anniversary this year as a thriving vertically integrated business with operations now in four countries. It has incorporated a new office in Maasdijk, Netherlands, where Halls is already firmly established with activity across the value chain including importing, ripening and packing of fruit.

In January, Halls acquired Columbus Exotics, a Netherlands-based company which specialises in the sourcing and marketing of exotics produce within Europe. Halls, a grower-based organisation with operations in South Africa, France and the UK, is at the forefront of the production, sourcing and marketing of sub-tropical produce.

By acquiring Columbus Exotics, Halls said it will further enhance its ability to serve its European customer base with the consistent supply of quality fruit year-round.

Paul Devlin, managing director of Halls’ European Operations, said the combination of Halls’ vertically integrated market offering with the location and specific skills set of Columbus Exotics is an exciting development for the company.

“Through this acquisition I am thrilled to welcome Ate Kalsbeek and Arjan Verhagen, two very experienced marketing professionals, to our team,” Devlin said.

Ate Kalsbeek, who will head up Halls’ newly established Netherlands operations, said the development “will enhance Halls’ direct market offering combined with a wider range of exotics which will be available year round for customers throughout Europe.”

 

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Dutch vegetable exports up 7%

Pears represent two thirds of Dutch fruit exports and have increased significantly, to 181,525 tons – up 80% on 2013 and 13% on 2012. After a poor crop in 2013, production of this fruit has fully recovered.

 

After little change in 2013, there was also a 44% spike in fruit exports – mainly thanks to pears – as at week 44 of 2014.

Vegetable exports from the Netherlands reached 2.55 million tons during the first 44 weeks of 2014, compared to 2.39 million in 2013 and 2.34 million in 2012. Among the top 10 varieties exported, field vegetables registered the most growth: white cabbage exports were up 58% of to 48,577 tons, leeks 29% to 30,790 tons and iceberg lettuce 25% to 39,011 tons.

Onions, with 809,390 tons, remain the top vegetable export, followed by tomatoes with 743,257 tons.  Meanwhile, the salad vegetables have seen significant progress with average gains of 10% (cucumbers +12%, peppers +11%, tomatoes +6%).

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Pears represent two thirds of Dutch fruit exports and have increased significantly, to 181,525 tons – up 80% on 2013 and 13% on 2012. After a poor crop in 2013, production of this fruit has fully recovered.

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On average, Dutch exports increased about 10% in 2014 and across the five main export destinations, except in the case of France (-12%).  Germany is by far the Netherlands’ top customer, taking 816,744 tons in 2014 as at week 44, up 9% on 2013.

-MW

This is an abbreviated version of an article on p48 of edition 135 of Eurofresh Distribution magazine. Read the full article for free here.

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Europe’s largest rooftop farm planned for the Netherlands

Europe’s biggest commercial urban farm will soon be located in this building in The Hague, in South Holland. Vegetables will be grown in a 1,200 sqm greenhouse to be placed on the roof of what is known as the De Schelde building, a former Philips factory now partially empty. Its conversion into a multi-storey urban farming centre – to be called Urban Farming De Schilde – will involve a €2.6 million investment, according to the Municipality of The Hague, which aims to become a climate-neutral city by 2040

 

Europe’s biggest commercial urban farm will soon be located in this building in The Hague, in South Holland.

Vegetables will be grown in a 1,200 sqm greenhouse to be placed on the roof of what is known as the De Schelde building, a former Philips factory now partially empty.

Its conversion into a multi-storey urban farming centre – to be called Urban Farming De Schilde – will involve a €2.6 million investment, according to the Municipality of The Hague, which aims to become a climate-neutral city by 2040 and says it is offering an attractive rental price to the urban farming tenants.

 

Indoor fish farm, boutique brewery

Two of the building’s storeys, each measuring 1,500 sqm, have been earmarked for urban farming. An indoor fish farm and boutique brewery are also included in the redevelopment plans.

City farming pioneer UrbanFarmers (UF) AG, a Swiss company, has been awarded the rooftop space of 1,500 sqm and 700 sqm on the 6th floor.

According to UF, the building has great access and visibility from both the city center as well as the neighboring Westland, “the Dutch horticultural cluster and ‘Silicon Valley’ for plant growing and green innovation.”

“The concept is further supported by a  digital billboard wrapped around the rooftop farm communicating live status updates around UF and also other information pertinent to what’s going on inside the greenhouse,” it said.

 

Koppert Biological Systems also involved

UF said it is focused on building cost effective, sustainable and reliable urban agriculture systems. De Schilde is its fourth after similar projects in Basel, Zurich and Berlin.

Koppert Biological Systems is to share its expertise with UF for the new project. “The cooperation with Urban Farmers will not only focus on natural enemies, beneficial microorganisms and biostimulants, as we, in our role as a horticultural supplier, will also work on the production of insects as fish feed,” said Maren Schoormans, Koppert’s sales manager for the Netherlands.

“We will be able to show society and consumers the opportunities our integrated system offers to everyone who wishes to improve the health, resilience and productivity of crops,” he said.