Last week, Dutch Greenhouse Delta (DGD) traveled to Almaty in Kazakhstan for the GreenHouse 2024 trade fair with a large delegation of DGD members and strategic partners. Daria van der Heijden, business developer at DGD, reflects on a successful week in which valuable contacts were established and significant steps were taken towards a more sustainable, resilient, and greener future in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
The Dutch horticultural sector was being represented in an impressive Netherlands pavilion, in which several partners of Dutch Greenhouse Delta partners were present. In this pavilion, Kazakhstani visitors had the opportunity to meet Artechno, Bosman van Zaal, Hoogendoorn Growth Management, Koppert, Kubo, Lumiforte, Purple Crown, Ridder, and Viscon. The collective engaged in highly valuable meetings with growers, government representatives, and investors from Kazakhstan.
Inspiring Kazakh-Dutch Round Table Discussion
Together with DGD's partners, an insightful discussion was organized that brought together Kazakh and Dutch perspectives. Kazakh stakeholders in the horticulture sector openly shared their perspectives on the profitability of greenhouse operations. The main focus of the presentations by both Kazakh and Dutch partners emphasized the crucial role of effective management, going beyond simply building advanced greenhouses. Speakers discussed the significance of Return on Investment (ROI) metrics and the various factors that influence them.
Furthermore, the discussion underscored the importance of connectivity within horticultural clusters and highlighted the significance of collaboration across public, educational, and private sectors, which inevitably leads to long-term cooperation.
Dutch Efforts to Boost Sustainable Farming in Central Asia
Despite the presence of high-tech greenhouses in Kazakhstan for several years already, there remains a significant gap in knowledge and sustainability practices. Central Asia needs extensive green education and the promotion of thriving and profitable green enterprises which go beyond simply cultivating vegetables. These ventures should aim to become integral parts of urban development, generating employment opportunities and implementing educational initiatives.
To address this need, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) in partnership with the Dutch embassy in Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Embassy in the Netherlands is taking proactive measures, with Dutch Greenhouse Delta playing an active role in representing our Dutch partners.
These initiatives are geared towards identifying opportunities and establishing the foundation for ongoing advancement in the greenhouse agricultural sector of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
For more information:
Dutch Greenhouse Delta
info@dutchgreenhousedelta.com
www.dutchgreenhousedelta.com