'We sell onions ex country if the price is satisfactory'

organized for the sixth year in a row Boerenbusiness the crop tour. Also this year we follow ten arable farmers throughout the Netherlands in the cultivation of yellow seed onions. In this series of business reports, we introduce the entrepreneurs. This time: Jacky Dieleman from Philippine (ZL).

Jacky Dieleman runs an arable farm together with his father. In addition, they both also work outside the door. Thanks to the deep drains that Dieleman has on various plots, all his crops can be irrigated. That was previously not possible for him in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.

That's why 20 business and personal questions to Jacky Dieleman, participant in the Boerenbusiness Crop tour Onions.

Which onion varieties are grown on the farm?
"We grow onions from the Hoza seed line. This year we are growing the varieties Tina and Mika. Because the cultivation of Mika failed this spring, a part of Hazera Dormo has now been sown. We grow these varieties because the customer has a preference for these varieties. The seed is also slightly cheaper than other varieties. We also choose these varieties because of their good storability, beautiful color and good skin resistance."

What do you think is the most beautiful crop to grow on your farm?
"I think potatoes are the most beautiful crop to grow. If you look at what can grow from a potato. I always like to see how the foliage is on it. You have a potato plant and then see what grows underneath: it is a surprise every year."

Are there any side activities on your farm besides arable farming?
"My father and I both work on the arable farm and we hire ourselves out as freelancers."

Chopping or baling straw?
"This is a question of conscience. We will be chopping straw for the first time next year. We have been baling in recent years. The reason we have been baling straw in recent years is for money. It was of course the case that in recent years the price of wheat had not risen very much. was special, but by pressing the straw, some money was earned from the wheat. We are now going to chop straw, because it is a waste to dispose of your minerals and better for the organic matter in the soil. Then you have to buy back minerals as compost or other fertilizer, which are also expensive."

What kind of tillage/fertilization is done at the front of the onion cultivation?
"The tillage is plowing and then preparing the seedbed with the seedbed combination. The fertilization is the fertilizer 15-15-15 before sowing. During sowing, p-focus NPK 10-18-4 with manganese, zinc and sulphur" are administered ."

French fries or boiled potatoes?
"French fries"

What is the crop protection strategy in onion cultivation?
"The strategy is to see what is needed together with the crop protection advisor. Place a spacious base with AZ and stump. In addition, we hoe the onions once or twice during the season. We do this for the weeds, but also for oxygen in the soil Crop protection in relation to disease, the way we handled it last year, is first to sprinkle and spray systemic agent. It is then absorbed better."

What are your hobbies?
"Formula 1 and watching football are my hobbies"

What are you proud of when you look at the company or cultivation?
"Yes, what am I proud of when I look at the company? I am proud when I drive through the polder and I see that the crops are neatly arranged. I can also be very annoyed by something that fails or does not look neatly ."

How do you see the future of the company in terms of developments?
"Sustainability. The future of the company is probably a bit of growth. In addition, using the opportunities that are available. Solar panels to be self-sufficient with electricity. Seeing which components we can apply from organic cultivation, such as hoeing and harrowing. I think that we, as conventional, can learn quite a bit from organic farming, where the best parts of conventional and organic farming need to be combined."

What has been the best choice/change in recent years at the company?
"The best change we have made is that we can irrigate. I can't think of any other answer. The choice we made is to install deep drains and therefore created the possibility to irrigate the crops."

What is number 1 on your bucket list?
"I would like to go to America again. Commercially, I would like to build another shed."

What activities are you most looking forward to during the year?
"I think the crop care is the best. Especially because you can clearly see and follow the growth of the crop. Everything else is also important to do neatly and carefully during the season, but I think the crop care is the best that the additions who makes yourself see the crop develop. That's what I like best."

Onions from your own company or onions from the supermarket?
"What do you think: from your own company of course. There is nothing as tasty as products from your own company."

What is the sales strategy of the products?
"If the price is satisfactory, the onions are sold from the country. If we are not satisfied with the price, we store our onions in storage. Normally, part of the onions always go into storage. I usually store them until February or March. That is also the maximum time we can store. The onions are simply under a corrugated iron roof. So when the temperature rises in the spring, they have to be collected."

What occupation would you have had if you had not been a farmer?
"If I hadn't become a farmer I would have been a cook. I like doing that."

What do you see as the opportunities and threats for your company?
"Opportunities are further perfecting the cultivation of crops to get more return from the company, through precision fertilization and crop protection. I think there is still some return to be achieved, because our plots are quite varied in terms of soil type. The threat lies in the lack of clarity of government regulations."

Can the onions be irrigated? If so, what is the strategy you use?
"It is possible to irrigate, because deep drains are present from which I can extract my water. Irrigation is done completely by feel. With the idea, I prefer to irrigate a few times more than a large amount at once. This means that we can adjust the crop protection every week apply it to a fresh crop. We can return to the plot every week to irrigate. We have the capacity for that."

Sun holiday or winter sports?
"Winter sports for me personally. But if the work permits, it will usually be a week in a bungalow park with the family."

What is your reason for participating in the Onion Crop Tour?
"To learn from other growers, especially in the field of irrigation, how other growers approach this. Participation never diminishes you."

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