Dutch companies and the government focus their greenhouse program on the United States

Under this program, Dutch system providers, growers and knowledge institutions can work together to accelerate the automation of fruit growing and greenhouses, in line with the joint international economic agenda of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK).

It is a long-term strategy to develop cooperation between the Netherlands and the United States and focuses first on the southeast coast, in particular Atlanta in the state of Georgia and North Carolina. The state of North Carolina has a unique combination of factors that favor horticulture, including climate, logistics, and an agricultural research facility.

Dutch greenhouse horticulture companies are increasingly investing in this region, Greenhouse Delta, the Dutch horticulture and supplier promotion platform, has already announced. Michiel van Ginkel, former director of Zon Fruits & Vegetabels, was recently appointed director of Greenhouse Delta. For now, the countries targeted are China, the Gulf region and India, but the United States will be added.

New focus on foreign policy

In this international economic agenda, the ministries claim to want to optimize external activities for trade promotion. The operation is evaluated with the three implementing organizations NLinBusiness, Trade and Innovate NL and NLWorks.

At the same time, the ministries are working with the Top Sectors on a new integrated internationalization agenda. This focuses on proposals regarding sustainability, digitalization and key technologies that can strengthen value chains. Horticultural technology seems to be an appropriate technique for this.

Hort America, an American subsidiary of Horticoop, recently stated that the Netherlands places great importance on high technology, but that because the demand is not always in the United States.