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Growth Turkish tomato acreage provides opportunities for growers and suppliers
Enkhuizen, The Netherlands
April 18, 2013
A Dutch tomato grower cooperating with a Turkish grower to deliver year-round. It happens, and Edwin van Antwerpen of Enza Zaden expects these kinds of collaborations to be more frequent in the future. "The acreage of high-tech tomato cultivation in Turkey is growing significantly and that will no doubt continue for a while," he predicts. For Dutch growers he foresees export opportunities to the country. "The economy is growing and so is the demand for a safe quality product."
Quality differences
"There are still many quality differences within the Turkish high-tech sector," says Van Antwerpen. “The difference is partly due to lack of specific knowledge and experience.” That is why Enza Zaden has organized the Diamantino Field Days in Turkey, where growers not only get information, but also meet other growers. This is a unique concept in Turkey because growers there are often solitary and rather distant. As part of a follow-up project, some twenty Turkish cultivators will brought to the Netherlands: “To see how things work over here.”
Cooperation
Dutch suppliers have been active in Turkey for a while now, but for Dutch growers too there are opportunities. Edwin van Antwerpen knows of a remarkable cooperation: "Geert van Rens, a tomato grower from Meterik, has his own products for most of the year. But when he runs out in December, he turns to his Turkish grower, Gokkale. This allows him to supply year-round."
But the cooperation between the two growers doesn’t end there: Van Rens frequently visits Gokkale and the two exchange knowledge and information. This guarantees both the quality and the continuation of supplies. "In the future you can expect more Turkish products to come to the Netherlands during winter. During summer, when the heat makes Turkish cultivation hard, it’s the other way around. Together, growers can supply year-round, both in Turkey and the Netherlands."
More news from: Enza Zaden BV
Website: http://www.enzazaden.com Published: April 18, 2013 |
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