EUC was responsible for travel and accommodation arrangements and it organized several agro and cultural excursions within the Netherlands. For most of the trainees it was their first time in the Netherlands, Europe or even outside China. It was quite an experience!!
EUC requested HollandDoor to organize a four-day training with the following subjects:
The Dutch horticulture & flower industry chain
Agro global supply chain management
Food safety and traceability systems
Marketing of perishables & cooperative models
The trainers were Engelie Beenen, Niek Botden and Jos Leeters, all of whom are members of HollandDoor Cooperative U.A.
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Japan National Research Project visits the Netherlands
On 14 January HollandDoor organized a short tour for a Japanese National Research Project.
A group of academic researchers visited the Netherlands to experience the current status of Dutch horticulture and to report on this to the Japanese horticultural sector.
HollandDoor assists with the switch from grapes to vegetable growing in Georgia
JSC Bagrationi 1882 is the market leader for sparkling wines in Georgia. The grapes which are necessary for the production of these wines are grown by the company itself. In order to expand their company Bagrationi is interested in not only growing grapes, but also in the growing of vegetables in Georgia. This does, however, need a thorough preparation which is why the new aims are being realised step by step. Both the management and the employees are building up their experience on test-locations were they are thoroughly educated about all aspects of greenhouse growing.
HollandDoor is assisting the company during these changes and has given the management trainings about understanding, background and practical experience of greenhouse growing. This experience will help Bagrationi making this expansion of vegetable growing a success.
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Georgian Farmers Association benefits from HollandDoor and Agriterra support
Since 2014 HollandDoor is involved in the agricultural sector in Georgia and built a relationship with the Georgian Farmers Association (GFA). In February 2016 HollandDoor, together with an Agriterra team (www.agriterra.org) conducted a mission to assess and advise GFA in its future development.
GFA was established in 2012 and has developed very fast towards a farmer organisation with more than 6,000 members. The big challenge for GFA is to transform from a donor-oriented association to a financially independent member organisation with a solid farmer base in the regions. For that reason HollandDoor organized a study tour in the Netherlands in July 2015 to let GFA learn from Dutch examples. During the visit GFA became enthusiastic about organizations such as ZLTO and Agriterra, which was the starting point for the February 2016 mission. Mr. Ton Duffhues of ZLTO (www.zlto.nl) and Mr. Frank Zeinstra of Flynth (www.flynth.nl) and Jos Leeters of HollandDoor worked with the staff and members of GFA and came up with various recommendations in the field of strategy, advocacy and service delivery for the members, organisation structure, management, governance and finance.
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The Farm Consultancy Group (FCG, www.fcgagric.com) requested HollandDoor to organize their annual study tour from 22nd to 24th June. The FCG is a group of farm consultants and agricultural advisors that are situated throughout the United Kingdom (mainly in the southern half). They are specialized in dairy farming and business management.
On the first and third day HollandDoor prepared a visiting program with the major focus on two subjects:
care farms and small scale food processing;
the nutrient situation in The Netherlands (animal manure logistics, processing, recycling).
On the second day the FCG members had a training at Cow Signals.
The study tour started on Monday at the Zonnehoeve care farm at Zeewolde where they were received by the initiator Mr. Piet van IJzendoorn. After an interesting tour of the farm the group left for Nijkerk, where they were received at Cumela by Mr. Jaap Uenk. He gave an extensive presentation on the nutrient situation in The Netherlands, which led to the conclusion that the Dutch animal manure regulation system may not be what the UK farmers are waiting for! After that there was still time left to visit the ECOFERM of the Kroes family at Uddel where the group was introduced to the closed-cycle thinking on the calve farm with manure digestion and duckweed production on the roof. The group expected an experimental farm and was surprised by the big scale.
On Wednesday morning the program started with a presentation by Mrs. Linette Mak of the Foundation Landwaard at Oosterhout on local food production, marketing and promotion. It turned out that much of the problems that are encountered, are the same for Holland and the UK. Next the group travelled to the manure processing plant of Groot-Zevert at Beltrum to see in practice which techniques can be used to process manure and to produce valuable new raw materials from/with it. To their surprise there was again duckweed production, which gave a lot of discussion about the economic viability of this production for animal feed. The last visit was at dairy farm 't Vorster at De Heurne, where the group was received by the Keuper family and Mr. Simon Lieftink from ID-Agro. As dairy consultants the group was back on known territory and they were impressed by the new Cow Lounge stable, the milking robots and the automatic litter spreading in the stable. Only after much discussion, many pictures and lots of questions the group finally said goodbye in the afternoon in order not to miss their planes.
The FCG members were very content with the amount of information and impressions they had received during only two (short) days of visits. They invited the visited farms and companies to return a visit to them in the UK.
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