At Tuinderij Boender, the outdoor lettuce season is in full swing. "Fortunately, we have good irrigation, because it's been quite dry," says Mart Boender. "The start wasn't easy, as Spain remained active in the market with lettuce while we were just beginning. Still, demand at the start of the season was very good. Right now, there could be a bit more movement. We've noticed that price increases have affected consumers, and when it comes to transport, lettuce is often considered a bulky product with lower margins."
Mart and his wife Janske grow outdoor lettuce each year on 37 hectares in Piershil and the surrounding area. The assortment originally included Lollo Bionda, Lollo Rossa, and red and green oak leaf lettuce, but in recent years, Romaine, green frisée, and butter lettuce have been added. "Romaine lettuce in particular is a growing item for us, which moves in good volumes at once. Frisée is now often sold in 12-piece bags, all palletised. The Lollo Rossa and Lollo Bionda markets are very stable," says Mart.
Last year, Tuinderij Boender invested in a new harvesting machine, which has been very well received. "Our staff no longer have to kneel in the field, and they can harvest much more easily in sunny weather since they're under cover. That's a major benefit, and we've hardly had any staff turnover since," says the grower. "Our big advantage is that all our plots are close to home. This allows us to cool the product quickly, which definitely helps maintain quality."
Louse pressure a headache
A much bigger challenge than staffing, according to Mart, is the damage caused by pigeons and the loss of crop protection products against aphids. "Since last year, pigeons have discovered our fields and seem to have a particular liking for Romaine lettuce. Of course, we use scare tape, noise devices, and netting, but it still causes a lot of damage. Fortunately, we receive compensation through Bij12, but you still don't want to send your customer a head of lettuce that's been nibbled. Aphid pressure is also currently very high in our region. With fewer available crop protection tools, this is really becoming a major problem. Lettuce growers are taking many initiatives to explore alternatives, but there are no concrete solutions yet. That's why I'm making another appeal to politicians—because the real solution will have to come from that direction if we want to keep enjoying lettuce in our salads, sandwiches, or burgers in the years ahead."
For Mart, there's no reason to ease off. "There simply must be a solution, or we'll soon be without Dutch-grown outdoor lettuce. We're ready to go full throttle, and our customers also prefer lettuce from outdoor cultivation—it's a slightly firmer product that keeps better than greenhouse-grown lettuce. It's frustrating that this is holding us back. In recent years, we've invested heavily in sustainable cultivation and expanded our acreage to grow our customer base. That's going well—a large portion of our product goes to various destinations in and outside Europe via Dutch exporters. We also supply supermarkets, processors, and the hospitality industry with top-quality, locally grown fresh produce."
For more information:
Mart Boender
Tuinderij Boender
Oudendijk 8
3265 AD - Piershil
+31 (0)6 11 15 73 54
[email protected]
www.tuinderijboender.nl