Dutch fruit advisor Jop Westplate and his family emigrated to Norway in July 2012, after he was offered a job there. For the first ten months, they lived in Hardanger, a region known for its pristine nature with waterfalls, mountains and glaciers. “In May 2013, we moved from Kinsarvik to Ulefoss, in the province of Telemark. A region where it can be pretty cold and snowy in winter, and relatively stable and warm in summer,” he says.
Advice in cultivation of topfruit and stonefruit
Jop recently moved to another employer, while doing similar work. He works at Norsk Landbruksrådgiving Østafjells, which used to be a national service. “This service has now been privatized and divided into regional departments. The region where I work, has eighteen employees. I am the only one to work with topfruit and stonefruit. I also have one colleague who works on softfruit.” Jop notes that the focus of the advice is on grains and roughage. His work terrain is pretty broad, but not much different than what he did in the Netherlands. “But in the Netherlands my work was limited to stonefruit, and here it’s both top and stonefruit. I mainly give advice in terms of fertilizing, pruning, crop protection, etcetera.”
Promotion Norwegian fruit
The Norwegian fruit, he says, is promoted quite heavily in the country. And in the period when fruit from Norway is available, an extra levy on imported fruit is used. “That way, the preference for Norwegian fruit is heavily promoted. Consumers also prefer own production over import. That means growers get a fairer price, ensuring they have an acceptable income from their fruit cultivation,” he notes. The Norwegian apple production accounts for 7500 tonnes, about 8% of the total consumption. So there’s still some room on the Norwegian market for local fruit.
Houses sold for more than the asking price
What does he like most about Norway? “I’d have to say the nature. Of course it’s a lot more pristine here than in the Netherlands. I also like the Norwegian social norms. There’s a bit less tension. But that can be interpreted both positively and negatively. The workload is also less high here.” Jop also feels that the agricultural sector is more appreciated in Norway than in the Netherlands, which is noticeable in the price that’s paid for fruit. “Of course Norway isn’t an EU member. Norway is (still) doing rather well in terms of economy. You see that in the housing market, for instance. Houses here are usually sold for more than the asking price. The wages here are a bit higher though, but basic necessities like fruit, vegetables and bread are also more expensive. Ultimately you end up at a comparable level of purchasing power.”
