In the Netherlands, many products seem to be facing an tense winter. Not so, organic sweet potatoes. Its outlook is positive. "These had a fantastic growing season. It could have been a little wetter, but in Flevoland, we can irrigate very well. The sun and warmth resulted in good quality and nice volumes," says Jaap Bos of Boukemaheerd. He and Dennis van de Weerd of Maatschap van de Weerd-Hakvoort are entering a second sales season with these sweet potatoes.
Dutch-grown
These two organic cultivation companies that already grow various crops planted a hectare of sweet potatoes last season. "It was actually an experiment to see if we could cultivate Dutch organic sweet potatoes and find some buyers. There are, after all, a lot of imports, but for the organic picture, a Dutch-grown product certainly fits better. Local production reduces the burden on the environment. Also, its short lines ensure better quality. It was why we wanted to see if we could grow this product closer to home."
According to Jaap, the result was extremely positive. "There are many things we had to make up, especially for organic cultivation. However, through plenty of research and contact with fellow local and overseas growers, we managed good results. Our buyers confirmed that," he says.
That led to an acreage expansion in the following season. Together, the growers now have six hectares under sweet potatoes. "We grow the Orleans and Bellevue varieties."
"The crop's very challenging and needs plenty of attention, but we can meet those challenges now," Jaap continues. Although it's a tropical crop, it grows well in Flevoland's soil.
"We had a wet, quite gloomy summer during the first season. That made us say, 'If this year's harvest is good, it will boost our confidence in a reliable crop for the future," adds Dennis.
And, it was. "The last growing season resulted in sweet potatoes of excellent quality and nice volumes. That makes us confident of good sales." The companies focus on Dutch retail for those sales.
Short chains
The growers have divided their roles to ensure good cooperation. Jaap focuses on the sweet potatoes' storage and Dennis on processing and packaging. "We can thus store, wash, sort by weight and package inhouse. A quite unique short chain," says Dennis. That is how they eventually want to supply Dutch sweet potatoes year-round.
"That's the true goal. With our resources and growth opportunities, it's certainly possible to deliver the desired volumes year-round. Currently, we can deliver in boxes and crates, but expect to shift to more small packaging. These will be a nice addition to the Dutch-grown, organic vegetable range. It's a realistic goal, but, importantly, we need conversations with partners for that," Jaap concludes.
For more information:
Jaap Bos
Boukemaheerd
Tel: +31 (0) 651 860 316
www.linkedin.com/in/bosjaap/