Bizarre images from the Netherlands, where a video shows how a 9-hectare greenhouse collapses in seconds. As if by some miracle, 65 workers left the greenhouse an hour before the accident happened. The greenhouse in question is owned by Agro Care, one of Europe's largest growers. Renovation work was being carried out in the greenhouse.
"The cause of the incident is that during the preparations for placing the second energy screen, the construction of the greenhouse was temporarily partially adjusted, so that it could become unbalanced. A slight increase in wind was enough to undermine the stability. In other greenhouses where a second screen had previously been placed, the correct procedure for this renovation was followed and applied, so that no instability occurred there. Of course, further investigation is being conducted into the cause of the failure to follow the correct procedure. Because the fallen greenhouse is currently impassable, we do not yet know all the details, but based on the inspections carried out, we can state with certainty that safety in our other greenhouses is guaranteed", the company shares today.
The accident occurred at 4:38 p.m. "For those who think coincidence doesn't exist, people had stopped work an hour earlier that afternoon. Thank God, we had a wonderful guardian angel who saved us from any human suffering. Nonetheless, we were all affected, especially the employees who spend a large part of the week here each week. It is a kind of second home," the company shared.
Investigation
An investigation into possible causes began immediately. To that end, several parties were already on site early Saturday morning: insurance specialists in the field of greenhouse technology, and a demolition company, to safely detach the collapsed greenhouse from adjacent structures The collapsed greenhouse is part of their cultivation site on Wagenpad, a complex consisting of 6 phases.
"The greenhouse was built in 2015, so it's a state-of-the-art facility with perfectly maintained systems. We hope to have clarity soon. In the meantime, we can guarantee the safety of our other greenhouses at this location to our employees, which is of course the most important thing," said CEO Kees van Veen last Saturday.
Construction work
It is being investigated whether the remodeling work that was in progress in the greenhouse, prior to the installation of a second energy screen, may have had an impact. In addition, weather conditions and especially wind are being considered. Over the years, the greenhouse, located in the northernmost tip of North Holland, has endured numerous storms. This makes it, according to an expert who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter, "unlikely that the greenhouse structure itself was faulty."
Not in production
The greenhouse contained three-week-old plants that were not yet in production. Therefore, there is no immediate impact on sales. "The greenhouse contained plants that were just three weeks old and not yet in production, so there is no immediate impact on output.
"In terms of harvest, this has no direct impact on our supply at the moment, but our planning will need to be completely revised. We'll take the coming weeks to thoroughly assess how to deal with this. It's going to be quite a puzzle," said Roy van Vliet in the statement Agro Care released after the incident.
Sales organization Harvest House will assess this week what impact the loss of 9 hectares will have on the availability of its tomatoes. "If necessary, we will personally inform our customers," they said.
European giant
Agro Care is the largest tomato producer in the Netherlands, with a total cultivation area of over 500 hectares. Since 2020, investment firm NPM Capital has held a minority stake in the company. In 2023, Combivliet merged into Agro Care, and this year, Danish grower Nordic Greens joined as well. The result is a horticultural operation with sites in Morocco, Tunisia, France, Brazil, and Denmark.