Last week, Dutch Greenhouse Delta, together with partners from the government and business community, hosted four incoming trade missions
The official delegations came from India, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kazakhstan, and various Stan countries. They were immersed in the knowledge and expertise of the Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector through a tailor-made program. During these missions, the focus was on exploring collaboration opportunities and strengthening trade relations to facilitate the transformation towards sustainable and affordable fresh food production in the respective countries.
The delegation programs featured company visits across the entire ecosystem of the Dutch horticulture cluster. Logistics, the port, biology, breeding, and innovative horticultural technology were presented to international decision-makers. The delegation members included policymakers, investors, growers, and companies involved in the import and export of fresh produce. A comprehensive visit to the GreenTech exhibition, where innovations were showcased, left a significant impression on the delegations. Additionally, knowledge sessions and matchmaking with various Dutch companies were part of the programs.
Sanket Mehta is the co-founder & director of Nutrifresh Farm Tech India and one of the delegates. He reflects on India’s trade mission to the Netherlands, “The whole experience of the trade mission has been fascinating. Programs like these are important in future collaborations, and to take a leap in the transformation towards growing fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables locally. Knowledge exchange will take both countries forward. I am really happy that I am an associate of PIB HortiRoad2India, which promotes such collaborations between The Netherlands and India”.
Several organisations have expressed their intention to further collaborate, including Dr Abdelaziz Almalek, the Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Water, Environment, and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia. He will advocate for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on agriculture between our countries from Saudi Arabia. The trade mission from Kazakhstan can expect a concrete follow-up during AgroWorld, an exhibition taking place from November 1st to 3rd in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Additionally, by the end of this year, an outgoing trade mission to India, led by Mark Rutte, will take place to further strengthen collaborations between the countries.
