Dutch businesses in ornamental industry and some of the food horticulture who lost profit in the period of March, April, May 2020, compared to the average profit in the last three years, 2017 - 2019, are considered for financial compensation to pay among other things inevitable season-bound staff costs. The basic principle is that the first 30% of the profit damage is entrepreneurial risk, and that the state will compensate a large share of the remaining 70%. Estimated spendings are about €600 million.
That's what Dutch minister of agriculture, Carola Schouten, wrote in an official letter to the House of Representatives, and elaborated on in the media (among others here at Op1, in Dutch, start watching from 28 minutes).
Execution
A similar 'care package' of €50 million is also set up for growers of fry potatoes. The execution hasn't been elaborated on yet. "The total compensation per company that can be paid, had limits, to make sure that every company with the right to get support, gets it. Both measures will be executed by RVO (the Netherlands Enterprise Agency). Shortly, there will be information available about the further elaboration and the way companies can apply."
From the industry come relieved sounds - through, for instance, Jaap Bond from Regiegroep Coronacrisis Tuinbouw (Taskforce Coronacrisis Horticulture) and Sjaak van der Tak from Glastuinbouw Nederland. The lobby for extra support for the trade and cultivation, which have lost tons of money due to the market situation, is heard. In this peak period, losses can go up to 100 million euros per week, as Floridata calculated. Whether this €600 million is enough, is simply not known yet. It fully depends on how the market develops.