In a time that sales organizations talk about cooperation, there was at the start of the year an actual fusion made. The growing organizations BGB and Versdirect.nl merged into Van Nature, where a grower organization with 120 growers with a total area of 520 hectares and 275 hectares of greenhouses full with vegetable crops was set up. "It went quickly," says director Hans van Luijk from the newly merged club. "In the past we have had discussions with various parties joining and when it appeared that the culture and methods of BGB and Versdirect.nl were close to each other. In the autumn, I spoke with Aad Sonneveld BGB and we both concluded that we were looking for new connections. "
"The structures of our organizations with a direct relationship with a merchant - such as BGB with Haluco and Versdirect.nl with Levarht, Combilo and Scherpenhuizen - proved relatively easy to merge into one another," says Wim Rodenburg, former manager of BGB and in the management Van Nature of responsibility for GMO and cooperative business. "Our chain participants responded positively and then we quickly forged plans. Ultimately, the poor pricing of recent years, gave the merger momentum. We do not really have the market supply and demand in balance, but can play around to make it more efficient. Through the merger we belong to the three or four large cooperatives in the Netherlands. This makes people look at you differently. We have fully participated in the discussion about the future of the Productschap Tuinbouw.
Further growth
''The growers also have reacted enthusiastically to the fusion plans.'' says Hans Van Luijk. ''We have got everything in order and are open for further growth"
Local-for-Local
Even though a company like Levarht that has been busy with local production in foreign countries like Costa Rica, there are according, to Van Nature directors no developments in the region of local growing in other European countries.
Glass vegetable season 2012
Major decisions about the current greenhouse season, are according to the directors, not to be expected. "The start of the season was difficult with low prices and high competition the moment we came on the market," says Hans van Luijk. "This year proved once again that even price is not an issue. The share of Spanish fruit in Germany last year, only got bigger."