Dutch strawberry grower Royal Berry has purchased 16 hectares of land in the former Huissense greenhouse area Leutensche Leigraaf. The strawberry grower buys out a livestock farmer, an amaryllis grower, and two fruit growers, reports De Gelderlander.
The livestock farmer is moving his business, while the fruit and flower growers are ceasing operations but will continue residing on the property. They will also keep a portion of the land to grow fruit and cultivate nuts. "This arrangement allows them to gradually phase out while still living here, which was a crucial condition," entrepreneur Jan Van Genderen explains in the newspaper.
Jan van Genderen at the Strawberry Day, early January 2025
Scale Expansion
This spring, he explicitly expressed his growth ambition, possibly also outside the greenhouse area NEXTgarden. "When I mention that I am also looking beyond our current horticultural area to grow, people sometimes still look at me in surprise." The strawberry company cultivates in glass greenhouses, on racks, and in Mini-Air greenhouses, advanced tunnel greenhouses, and currently covers 57.5 hectares.
In five years, by 2030, the strawberry entrepreneur expects that 80 to 90 percent of the strawberry volume from the Netherlands will be grown by a limited number of larger growers. Royal Berry wants to be one of them.
The municipality must now approve the plans of the strawberry grower with the purchased land. The municipality is also considering a housing plan. Jan hopes for the green light this week, according to De Gelderlander. The grower wants to build a residential park for international workers near his greenhouse location at the Clivia.