Cultivation and production

Landbouwraden

The agricultural attaché network (LAN) supports Dutch companies in the agricultural sector with their international ambitions. The agricultural counsellors and their teams work in the economic departments of 57 Dutch embassies and/or consulates and serve from there 77 countries.

The agricultural counsellors are available for companies and entrepreneurs from the agricultural sector in all links of the chain: from starting material (seed) (animal feed) and primary products to end products, but also the processing industry, supply, technology, services, trade and logistics. The agricultural counsellors are assisted by a team of locally hired employees, including the agricultural advisors who have an excellent local and regional network and the policy and management support staff.

Together, as agricultural teams, they can quickly provide you with the right information to do business successfully:

• finding customized market information;
• obtaining information about laws and regulations, including commodity laws, in your market;
• information on and assistance with the resolution of veterinary and phytosanitary barriers to trade;
• starting up agricultural projects and chain management.

Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo

At Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, the primary focus is on healthy nutrition. Innovators from business, science and education work together on innovations in healthy nutrition, future farming, and bio-circular economy. The Campus is located in a region in which the agri-food business is one of the most productive, sustainable and profitable in the world; where food innovation is in the entrepreneurs’ DNA. Campus buildings Villa Flora and Innovatoren are home to various R&D facilities, entrepreneurs and institutes.

Get in touch

Dutch Flower Auctions Association

The VBN (the Dutch Flower Auctions Association) is the umbrella organization for Dutch cooperative floricultural auctions. Joint activities are carried out under the VBN banner on behalf of the Dutch floricultural auctions.

Get in touch

Floriworld

FloriWorld is a high-profile and alluring attraction for national and international tourists, but also for relations and administrators, scholars and students and business visitors. FloriWorld is the home base of the sector and contributes to the top of mind position of flowers and plants of consumers and stakeholders.

Get in touch

Fresh Produce Centre

Fresh Produce Centre promotes the interests of companies that are active in the sale of fruit and vegetables and is also a source of knowledge and inspiration. Fresh Produce Centre represents the interests of businesses involved in the sale and marketing of fruit and vegetables and is a source of knowledge and inspiration. Its members account for over 80% of total sales of fruit and vegetables in the Netherlands, which are worth around € 15 billion (including growers’ associations).

Fresh Produce Centre has around 320 members. The members are trading companies and growers’ associations involved in the sale and marketing of fruit and vegetables. They specialise in the domestic wholesale, import, export, treatment, processing, packaging, storage and transshipment of fruit and vegetables.

Kom in contact

Glastuinbouw Nederland

'Glastuinbouw Nederland' is the abbreviated statutory name of “LTO GLaskracht Nederland” in which LTO Noord, ZLTO and LLTB collaborate on influencing policy and creating innovative programmes for Labour, Energy, Planet Health and Water & Environment for the benefit of the entrepreneurial network. Together, we represent 70% of the total greenhouse horticulture acreage in The Netherlands.

Get in touch

GlastuinbouwWaterproof.nl is the leading knowledge platform on water for greenhouse horticulture. The partners aim to share knowledge and experiences related to the sustainable use of water with greenhouse horticultural entrepreneurs in the Netherlands.

The Greenhouse Horticulture programme strives to reach (nearly) zero emissions of fertilisers and crop protection agents by 2027. Closed water recycling loops at the level of the company or area are essential, as well as the availability of sufficient good irrigation water.

Cooperation is paramount to reach this goal. Cooperation between entrepreneurs, chain partners, researchers and governments. Waterproof Glasshouse Horticulture organises a range of projects with these parties on the optimal reuse, limitation of emissions, cultivation using alternative systems, and the development of disinfection and purification techniques.

Get in touch

Greenport Aalsmeer

Greenport Aalsmeer is one of the six greenports in the Netherlands. It is the largest world trade and knowledge center for the floriculture sector with Royal FloraHolland, the flower auction, at its heart. Within the Greenport, 50,000 people work full-time daily at growing companies, the auction, trading companies, exporters, horticultural suppliers and flower and plant breeders. Together these companies ensure a turnover of 3 billion euros per year. Knowledge institutions that are active in horticulture are also partners, as are service providers and financial institutions. Because all the important parties are so close together, there is an intensive exchange of knowledge and there is cooperation with each other in many areas. The region works together in the areas of knowledge & innovation, space & accessibility, sustainability, the labor market & education and positioning & image.

Get in touch

Greenport Boskoop

Greenport Boskoop is one of the six greenports in the Netherlands. This greenport has traditionally been the most famous tree-growing cluster in the world. For more than 500 years, the vast majority of companies have been active in (tree) floriculture: production, trade and services. Today, the cluster consists of more than 700 companies. The majority of the production companies, the tree nurseries, focus on growing ornamental shrubs for the visually attractive market. The rapid availability of products and services in Boskoop and the innovative capacity of the business make the establishment in Boskoop more interesting than elsewhere.

Get in touch

Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek

Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek is one of the six Greenports in the Netherlands. This greenport is the international center for breeding, cultivation, trade, logistics and export of bulbs, flowers and plants. More than 60% of the total world trade flows in the bulb sector go through the Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek. To further strengthen this international competitive position, the greenport works together with many parties from the region.

Get in touch

Greenport Gelderland

Greenport Gelderland is one of the six Greemports in The Netherlands. It is the horticultural program for the Gelderland River area. As a public-private network organization, it stimulates innovation, sustainable development and growth of horticultural companies in Gelderland under the motto: Sustainability! GG knows what is going on among growers and connects them to each other and to governments, the business community and research. From a broad network, it focuses on the growth and development of people and the horticultural sector.

Horticulture, in combination with related trade, logistics and services, provides a lot of added value and employment locally. The total added value of the horticultural cluster is € 700-800 million. The horticultural clusters offer work to a total of 13,900 full-time jobs.

Kom in contact

GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord

GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is is one of the six Greenports in The Netherlands. Just north of Amsterdam you find the most versatile agricultural area in Europe. Vegetables, meat, potatoes, fish, fruit, flowers and seeds all originate from this region. The strong link in this agri-cluster chain is GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord.  

GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is home to Northwest Europe’s food garden. A tremendous variety of vegetables, potatoes and fruit makes its way from the land and greenhouses to consumers in both the Netherlands and abroad. GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is a major supplier of meat and dairy products. Alkmaar is famous for its cheese and fishing is also a major industry in this region. In addition to all of its fresh food and produce, GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is also one of the largest production areas in Europe for flower bulb cultivation, floriculture and ornamental horticulture.

Get in touch

Greenport Venlo

Greenport Venlo is one of six Greenports in the Netherlands. This unique area consists of working landscapes and knowledge landscapes and is developed and managed by the development company Ontwikkelbedrijf Greenport Venlo.

Get in touch

Greenport West-Holland

Greenport West-Holland is one of the six Greenports in The Netherlands. This greenport is one of the most innovative region in the field of greenhouse horticulture, with growers of vegetables and flowers, suppliers, trading companies, breeders, consultancies, personnel services, etc. They work closely together: with each other, with local and regional authorities, with top education institutions and with international research institutes.

When it comes to greenhouse horticulture, Greenport West-Holland is one of the most important regions in the world with a concentration of state-of-the-art production, delivery, trade, distribution and processing companies, all strongly interlinked. The governments in the region – together with entrepreneurs, educational institutions and research institutes – have united in a network organization: Greenport West-Holland.

Get in touch

Greenports Nederland

Greenports Nederland is the platform where the six Ducth regional Greenports, the business community, governments and education & knowledge institutions work together to achieve breakthroughs and acceleration on horticultural themes that require a national approach and that are not picked up by other parties. For example: theme's like labor market, energy, healthy plants and people, innovation, internationalization, spatial planning and fresh logistics.

Get in touch

Kas als Energiebron

The aim of Kas als Energiebron, the innovation and action programme for the greenhouse horticulture sector, is to reduce greenhouse horticulture CO2 emissions by 2 to 3% per year. This must be achieved through energy-saving innovations and the use of sustainable energy. Glastuinbouw Nederland and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality are working together on this programme.

Get in touch

KAVB

The Royal General Bulb Growers' Association (KAVB) has about 1200 members, most of them bulb growers, bulb forcers and wholesale companies. The association has contacts with governmental organisations and political parties to promote the interests of our members. For instance in discussions about environmental issues like the use of fertilizers and pesticides, restrictions in use of energy, employment, and are negotiating for collective agreements on behalf of our members.

They also provide their members with information about developments in the bulb growing sector. The KAVB is housing the most complete library on flower bulbs in the world. Furthermore,they provide specific services to members: arranging trading regulations, host an independent arbitration tribunal that members can turn to when, for instance, parties have a dispute on a trading agreement, and organize floral exhibitions.

Get in touch

LTO Nederland

The Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association is a cooperation between LTO Noord, ZLTO and LLTB. Together they represent over 35,000 agricultural entrepreneurs and employers, with a commitment to the economic and social position of its members. 

The Dutch agricultural and horticultural sector is very diverse, with agricultural entrepreneurs active in a wide range of subsectors such as arable farming, dairy farming, flower bulb cultivation, greenhouse horticulture, tree cultivation and pig farming. The majority of these farmers is represented by the Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association, via the regional associations LTO Noord, ZLTO and LLTB. Through their membership, they emphasize the added value of an entrepreneurs and employers’ organization which effectively represents their interests at the local, regional, national and international level.

Get in touch

Naktuinbouw

Naktuinbouw (the Netherlands Inspection Service for Horticulture) promotes and monitors the quality of products, processes and production chains in the horticultural sector. The main focus is on propagating material, of national and international origin. Naktuinbouw is an Autonomous Public Body regulated by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Naktuinbouw has three large departments for the following activities: Inspections, Laboratories and Variety Testing.

Get in touch

RVO

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency supports entrepreneurs, NGOs, knowledge institutions and organisations. RVO aims to facilitate entrepreneurship, improve collaborations, strengthen positions and help realise national and international ambitions with funding, networking, know-how and compliance with laws and regulations.

RVO is a government agency which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Its activities are commissioned by the various Dutch ministries and the European Union.

Get in touch

Netherlands Water Partnership

The Netherlands Water Partnership is a network of Dutch organisations in the water sector with international ambitions. NWP’s members include companies, government agencies, knowledge institutions and NGOs with one common goal - to join forces for sustainable water solutions worldwide. 

The Netherlands is a major player in the international water sector and always looks for ways to share its expertise and to learn from others. The Netherlands Water Partnership works along cross-cutting themes that make it possible to look at different challenges from an integral approach. Adept at matchmaking, NWP is the first point of call for anyone seeking expertise on water management issues or contact with the Dutch water sector. 

Get in touch

NFO

The Dutch Fruit Growers Organization (NFO) is an association of professional fruit producing entrepreneurs. The objective of the NFO is to represent the interests of her fruit growing members by (inter)national lobbying, implementing projects and providing support.

The NFO supports the fruit growers in various areas such as increasing their knowledge and entrepreneurship. Important dossiers are: Socio-Economic issues, Market-related issues, Plant Protection, Knowledge transfer and Innovation. Marketing and research related subjects are represented in four product related working groups consisting of fruit growers. Every two weeks the technical magazine ‘Fruitteelt’ is published by the NFO accompanied by serveral news letters per week. Approximately 80 percent of the Dutch professional fruit growers is member of the NFO.

Get in touch

Plantum NL

Plantum is an association for companies in the breeding, tissue culture, production/trade of seeds and young plants. The companies are active in agriculture, horticulture and floriculture. Plantum NL promotes the interests of its members and acts on behalf of the sector as a discussion partner for governments and interest groups. Strengthening the international competitive position of the sector and of groups of affiliated members is central to this. Plantum NL also functions as the initiator of new developments and a source of information for companies.

Get in touch

Seed Valley

Seed Valley in the northwest of the Netherlands is the international center of plant breeding and seed technology. It is home to dozens of innovative companies that develop high-quality vegetable and flower varieties for the horticulture sector.

From the Seed Valley region, plant reproduction material and associated technology is exported to customers worldwide, contributing to a healthy and flowering world.

Get in touch

Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials

A topsector is a sector in which Dutch business and research centers excel worldwide. The Netherlands has nine, including Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials.

Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials comprises all vegetable chains in the horticultural complex and, for the starting materials, the total vegetable horticulture and agri-complex. The topsector therefore consists of the starting materials, production (greenhouses and open ground) sectors and the processing, supply, trade and distribution companies. It is a broad sector with subsectors ranging from vegetables, fruit and trees to flowers and bulbs. The starting material sector is about starting material such as seed, seedlings and seeds.

Within each Topsector, the parties have bundled themselves into Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI). The TKIs have drawn up research agendas and objectives for the coming years. Every topsector has its own possibilities that companies can use. You can think of financing your R&D projects (research & development), hire researchers for your innovation project or find collaboration partners.

Get in touch