Peter Holster, an agricultural entrepreneur from Marknesse, grows 40 hectares of onions for the Gewastour on his 6 hectares of land. The soil type is light loam with a silt content of 15% to 20%. Peter uses a traditional crop plan with crops such as onions, seed potatoes, wheat and sugar beets. There are also tulips on the land he rents out..
After school, Peter worked outside the arable farm for a while to gain experience. His parents were still active on the farm at the time, and given the relatively small scale of the company, it was a wise choice for Peter to first gain work experience elsewhere before taking over the farm. After the takeover, Peter focused on seed potato cultivation instead of consumption cultivation, which later proved to be profitable. He invested in a new storage shed, a decision he is still very happy about in retrospect. Since the takeover, Peter has focused entirely on seed potato cultivation, which provides him with a stable income.
In order to expand his production, he rents extra potato land. Given the extremely high land prices, Peter is considering expanding his seed potato area in the future by renting land, instead of buying land. He does not see 'working for a bank' as his future.
This year, Peter has adjusted his construction plan by stopping the cultivation of chicory. The increasingly strict regulations around weed control, in which almost all herbicides were banned, played an important role in this. Moreover, this change offers advantages, such as faster availability of the land, which benefits soil recovery and provides space for a good green manure.
A major investment for this growing season is drip irrigation. This method allows for more efficient dosing of water and fertilizers. "In dry summers, you can clearly see how much difference it makes to irrigate your crops correctly," says Peter. His wish list also includes a new shed and a planting machine, but he thinks it is important 'to have a clear objective every year and to deliver a top product, both qualitatively and quantitatively'.
In addition to the agricultural challenges, Peter also experiences the pressure of government measures, rising costs and societal expectations. The future of the agricultural sector is uncertain, and small and medium-sized businesses are under pressure, he says. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the opportunities for his company. "We are a small group of farmers compared to the rest of the population, but we contribute a large part to the economy and provide healthy and safe food. We know what we grow and have to meet strict requirements so that we can deliver the best product."
Every year Peter travels to Austria to teach as a ski instructor. He finds it important to occasionally push the boundaries of the farm and look beyond the 'damp poles'.
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