25 January 2024
State Secretary Jean Rummenie visited Kwekerij Overgaag, a pepper grower within the Harvest House cooperative, in Honselersdijk on Monday 8 July. In his first week in office, the new State Secretary at LVVN was immediately introduced to the innovation and strength of greenhouse horticulture.
Growers John Overgaag and Wouter Overgaag, together with Bart van den Bosch and Jelte van Kammen (CEO of Harvest House), gave a tour of the greenhouse and the pepper sorting facility. They demonstrated how they work every day towards more efficient and sustainable cultivation. Jaap Bond of Top Sector Horticulture & Starting Materials was also present to underline the importance of the sector. Key topics discussed during the visit included the energy transition, the HortiFootprint, crop protection and the CTGB sustainability desk, digitalisation, and the international competitiveness of greenhouse horticulture.
Jean Rummenie was impressed by the pepper nursery. “This is high‑tech production in optima forma. It is fantastic to see how versatile this company is and what possibilities it has in terms of energy. We can be very proud of the Dutch horticultural sector. We have high‑tech, sustainable horticulture companies here that rank among the world’s best.”
Jelte van Kammen looks back on the visit with satisfaction. “It was an honour to welcome the State Secretary. Rummenie was already familiar with greenhouse horticulture, and we were able to update him on current issues. All the topics we wanted to address were discussed.”
