RZ-100-wt4-E-flipbook-240702 - Flipbook - Page 54
The horticulture sector is also booming. Dutch
4 | 1960-1980
horticulture is heavily export-oriented, and by the
mid-1950s, agricultural prices are falling worldwide. During this period, there is a great need for
Time for
markets in which the Dutch horticulture sector,
with its relatively expensive labour and production
Expansion
resources (greenhouses, heating, etc), can sell
its products at higher prices. The formation of a
common market, realised by the establishment of
the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957,
is therefore a strong stimulus for Dutch horticulture.
The hard work that Rijk Zwaan has had to perform
seems to be finally rewarded. He keeps telling
In the 1960s, the Dutch economy is showing unprecedented growth.
growers that his seed leads to better results.
The difficult post-war years are behind us, and almost every sector in
As recently as 1961, Rijk Zwaan was awarded the
the Netherlands is experiencing strong growth. And the workers are
decoration ‘Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau’
also benefiting from this economic success. Due to the increasingly
(Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau) for
competitive labour market, wages are going up and working conditions
his achievements in relation to breeding and
are improving significantly. Saturdays off, for example, was introduced in
introducing specific horticultural varieties.
most sectors in the late 1950s.
Nevertheless, he knows that he will have to
The prosperity enjoyed by many Dutch people is reflected in, among
develop his cultivation methods even more in
other things, the number of television sets in Dutch living rooms.
order to maintain this leading position. For the
In 1960, the figure was around nine per 1,000 inhabitants, while by 1965
breeding of outdoor crops in particular, a different
this had almost doubled to seventeen.
location away from the nursery in Bergschenhoek
will have to be found.
European horticulture and the EEC
Initially, the horticulture sector is slightly wary of the new developments
Because of this, the horticulture sector reaps only the beneficial
that will follow once the EEC has been formed. This because one of the
consequences of the founding of the EEC. To give an example,
spearheads of the policy is the regrouping of production resources in the
production in the Netherlands in this sector increases by about
most advantageous country for the product in question. Among other
60 per cent in the period from 1958 to 1968.
things, this signals the end for a large part of the Dutch fruit production
Much of this growth is due to the use of new techniques that
sector, because this can now be carried on elsewhere in Europe under
promote the further intensification of horticulture, allowing an
more favourable conditions. There are also fears for the survival of horti-
increase in greenhouse cultivation. By this time, even the first market
culture in The Westland. After all, better climatic conditions elsewhere
gardeners are already using a hand-held device to make press-pots
in Europe make the use of greenhouses in the Netherlands unneces-
in which lettuce plants are transplanted and then set out for further
sary. But it won’t come to that. The various member states are in no
cultivation. These activities mark the beginning of a much more
great hurry to reclassify agriculture and horticulture, which is why the
intensive type of horticulture that has enormous consequences for
Netherlands, after initially leading the way, is also taking a wait-and-see
the sector. It is only with high-quality seed and planting material that
approach to regrouping.
yields can be increased through intensification.
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Rijk Zwaan | Moving forward together
