Early 2015, Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group / www.dsgroup.com) from India approached HollandDoor to assist in their search for a Dutch joint-business development partner.  

DS Group is a rapidly growing multi-diversified conglomerate and has a strong presence in high growth sectors such as food & beverages, hospitality, mouth fresheners & tobacco among others. Currently, DSGroup is buying essential flower oils, which it needs as ingredient for their products, on the free market in mainly India. These essential flower oils can be, for example rose, and jasmine oil. DSGroup group wants to vertical integrate the start of their supply chains to have more control on continuity, quality and innovation in essential oil production. 

DSGroup group concluded that it has not the capacity nor the ambition to realize essential flower oil production themselves. However they can facilitate with land availability and secure sales. DSGroup requested HollandDoor to search for a Dutch joint-business development partner who wants to realize large scale flower production for essential oils.

For the past 6 months HollandDoor has realized a detailed Dutch partner profile and continued with making long- and shortlists. Via various meetings combined with a visit of DSGroup to Holland, some potential partners were found. Currently, the possibility of joint-business development is being researched.

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HollandDoor organized at 18 November an excursion as part of course Market Access for Sustainable Development. This course for mid-career professionals is yearly organized by Centre Development Innovation, part of Wageningen University and Research Centre. For more information, please see: http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/show/CDIcourse_market_access_2014.htm

40 trainees from 15 countries visited SION and GreenQ. The trainees were impressed about used production techniques. Also they were impressed by the way how Dutch growers, suppliers and knowledge institutes work together on innovations. HollandDoor thanks SION and GreenQ for their hospitality.

Greenhouse vegetable production is becoming more popular in Surinam. The Zeister Zendings genootschap (ZZg) from the Netherlands and its Surinam partner Equalance want to support local Surinam entrepreneurial farmers to produce vegetables for the local market by using greenhouse technology. Currently a feasibility study is being conducted. Fair&Sustainable, an NGO from the Netherlands is assisting them. 

Sheritsa van Cooten and Christine Amato, representing Equalance Surinam visited the Netherlands from 23 to 27 June. Jochem Schneemann of Fair&Sustainable requested HollandDoor to make a tailor-made visit program so that the most important aspects of Dutch horticulture could be studied in a short time. HollandDoor consultant Niek Botden delivered two presentations: one about Dutch horticulture in general and one about applied agri-training possibilities. After this, the group visited tomato company Solyco in Bleiswijk. 

The general conclusion of the meeting was that there are a lot of opportunities for greenhouse vegetable production in Surinam. However, as it mostly has to be developed from scratch, there is still a lot of work to be done! 

Gadot Agro from Israel requested HollandDoor to organize a short tailored study trip for its relation Atzmona. A major objective of this visit was to familiarize Atzmona with Dutch cultivation practices and exchange cultivation strategies for Dieffenbachia tropic, Dieffenbachia Camilla and Aglaonema. 

During the tour, a couple of state-of-the-art Dutch potted plant companies were visited. Lots of cultivation experiences were exchanged and some possible points for cooperation were defined.