More Dutch growers expected to switch to high wire production

The acreage with high wire cucumber cultivation is increasing every year in Holland. "There is a lot of interest in it. There is currently speculation about a spectacular growth this autumn," said Ewoud van der Ven of DLV Plant. Whether that actually happens... - we will see in the autumn. "If one grower switches, more might follow. But it is also a risky crop." This has to do with the higher production costs, and with the different cultivation method. "It takes several years before you really know what you're doing with high wire cultivation and you need to get substantially more production to recoup the higher costs."

The main advantage of high-wire cultivation is the consistent quality which can be provided. "In regular cultivation, you'll see at the end of the production period that the quality will be variable. In high wire cultivation, that is not the case. The first cucumbers are sometimes a bit short, but then there is a longer period in which a consistent product can be harvested." Also, buyers can rely on it. "You see that buyers keep coming back and keep buying more. They know what they can expect."