At R.L. De Vries en zoon in Heemskerk, the import season for French lettuce is making way for the first Dutch outdoor lettuces this week. "We get a lot of questions about whether we're affected by the drought, but we turned on the irrigation immediately after planting and are very satisfied. Thanks to all the sunshine, the product looks great, and the lettuce has already reached a good weight. We're taking it easy this week, but we can deliver at full speed starting next week," says Douwe de Vries.
The import season has also gone well in recent months. The Heemskerk-based grower began exploring cultivation in southern France 15 years ago and still works with the same grower to supply Lollo Bionda, Lollo Rossa, and red oak leaf lettuce from open fields and greenhouses. "It was an excellent import season for French lettuce. We were able to supply good volumes to our customers and can now transition seamlessly into the Dutch season."
Douwe represents the fourth generation of the De Vries family to grow vegetables in Heemskerk. In recent years, Douwe and his father Ramon have increasingly focused on lettuce cultivation. "Romaine lettuce has become particularly popular in recent years, especially among processors. In contrast, the supply of oak leaf lettuce is decreasing. The cultivation of Lollo Bionda and Lollo Rossa remains fairly stable." When asked about the biggest challenges, Douwe points to the weather. "It also remains uncertain whether a new pesticide against aphids will become available."
In terms of marketing, De Vries targets Dutch processors and wholesalers. "We have a lot of long-term agreements, but we can always sell some volumes outside of those. The great thing is that by combining French and Dutch lettuces, we can supply customers year-round," says Douwe. "We closely follow developments in lettuce varieties. Last spring, for example, we attended the open days in Murcia again to view the latest varieties from breeders."
The latest development is that the grower expects to receive a new camera-guided hoeing machine from the Ferrari brand this month, which operates using AI technology. "As far as I know, this is the first of its kind in the Netherlands. We're very curious to see how it performs. We can use the hoeing machine very early after planting, which we hope will allow us to avoid using herbicides. This offers many benefits for both lettuce growth and the environment."
For more information:
Douwe de Vries
R.L. De Vries en zoon
Krochtweg 10
1969 MB Heemskerk
Mob: +31 (0)6 52726797
[email protected]
www.verslavendlekker.com