More greenhouse horticulture companies in Flanders have the intention to expand. Of the Flemish greenhouse growers, 8.2% have plans to expand the company or go for succession. In 2015 this was 4.4%.
This is reported by AgriDirect's Greenhouse Horticulture Scanner Flanders, conducted in the months of November and December 2016. During this telephone survey, about 550 Flemish greenhouse growers were approached with questions about their future and investment plans.
Falling line percentage of quitters
For the second year in a row, the percentage of Flemish greenhouse growers with termination plans has fallen. At the end of 2016, 6.1% indicated that they wanted to reduce their business activity. In 2014 this was 11.4%.
Fewer successors are available
The percentage of successors, ready to take over the management in the company, has fallen slightly in the past year. In total, for 14.6% of Flemish greenhouse horticultural companies (with a 50-year-old or older business owner) it is known who will take over the management in due course. At 9.4% of the companies, the successor is already active in the company, at 5.2% the successor still has to come in.
In the Netherlands slightly more expansion plans
Compared to the greenhouse horticulture sector in the Netherlands, we see that there are relatively more expansion plans (9.9%), more greenhouse growers tend to quit (8.5%) and that there are more successors in the Netherlands, ready to take over the management of the business (20.7%).