Official opening of state-of-the-art greenhouse in Turkey

Tuesday, 12 June, saw the celebratory opening in Aydin (Turkey) of Turkey’s most modern greenhouse: the Sustainable Innovation Centre. The joint venture and opening were celebrated in the presence of more than 100 guests invited from both the Netherlands and Turkey. The official opening ceremony was performed with the unveiling of a plaque by Mr Kerem Al (governor of Aydin) and Mr Muharrem Balat, chairman of the board of the Turkish investor MB Holding. Sultan Sera Greenhouse and the Sustainable Innovation Centre are the result of a unique and intensive collaboration between MB Holding, Agentschap NL (Dutch Ministry of EL&I), partners of Sera Culture and the members of HortiX.

The official opening ceremony was performed by (FLTR) Mrs. Yvette Entius (Dutch Ministry of EL&I), Mr. Harm Maters (Chairman of Sera Culture), Mr. Kerem Al (governor of Aydin) and Mr. Muharrem Balat (CEO MB Holding).

The greenhouse came into being following a comprehensive study conducted by Sera Culture, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture and various specialist companies in the horticultural sector. The result of these studies is a greenhouse most ideally suited to south-western Turkey that utilises geothermal energy. Taking contemporary trends and future developments into account, the underlying principle was one of sustainable production. This resulted in a model glass greenhouse more than 4 hectares in size and using terrestrial heat with the required CO2 being obtained from the spring water and added to the greenhouse atmosphere. The water is then pumped back into the underlying strata. There is also a focus on water management as a result of substratum cultivation (hydroponic growing). The project’s progress and growth conditions in the greenhouse are being supervised thoroughly from the Netherlands by the WUR and the members of Sera Culture. Consequently, the Sustainable Innovation Centre and Sultan Sera can be rightly called Turkey’s most modern greenhouse.

The Sultan Sera Greenhouse and the Sustainable Innovation Centre are the product of the Sera Culture programme. The objective of the Sera Culture programme is to set in motion a process of consciousness-raising among Turkish growers and investors in horticulture. At the heart of this is raising awareness that yields can be increased sustainably by implementing the right knowledge, resources and technology from the Netherlands. The realisation of Sultan Sera and the Sustainable Innovation Centre in Turkey constitutes a unique example of this collaborative venture.

For more information:
Mirjan den Drijver
Tel: 0031 174 670284
[email protected]