'Every challenge also offers opportunities'

René Haaijer from Groningen has an arable farm where he grows onions, starch potatoes and other crops. A few years ago, a chicken farm was added. He also does contract work for other growers. René looks realistically at the challenges in the sector and sees opportunities to improve further with practical solutions.

Can you tell us something about your crops and cultivation?
"We grow red and yellow onions on two plots as part of the Crop Tour. The red onions are of the Allurion variety and we grow the Vento variety for the yellow onions. The cultivation takes place partly with drip irrigation on sandy soil. The yellow onions are grown on a plot where winter barley and marigolds used to be, and the red onions grow where beets were grown last year. Onions take up 60% of our cultivation plan. That is normally not possible, but we manage it because we exchange and rent a lot of land. In addition, we have 35 hectares of starch potatoes and we grow sugar beets, which we partly rent out. And we grow barley and wheat." 

What are the biggest challenges for this season?
"In onion cultivation, we have to deal with high disease pressure and a lot of weeds every year, as well as infestation by nematodes, bean fly and onion fly. In addition, there is the loss of spraying agents, which does not make things any easier. In addition, we have 5 hectares of drip irrigation, something we worked with for the first time last year. Although there was no direct added value at the time, we are using it again this year and are also doing contract work with it." 

How do you view developments in agriculture?
"Agriculture brings with it a lot of worries. You can quickly become very worried, but every challenge also offers opportunities. It is not getting any easier. The Netherlands is actually too full for the intensive arable farming that we do. That there has to be a reduction, that is almost inevitable if you want to keep everyone happy. But okay, then we have to think about our own food supply. Do we really want to become dependent on foreign countries?"

How did your company come into being?
"My father once started growing onions. Everyone thought he was crazy, because onions on sandy soil would never work. Sometimes you just have to be a bit lucky. Together with six other growers, he started at the time and invested in mechanisation. We now do contract work on 600 hectares with around 80 to 85 growers. Everything is done on 2-metre beds."

What do you like most about your job?
"The combination of contract work and arable farming. The contact with customers, working on the land, the freedom. I am always working and you cannot plan anything during the season. That makes it difficult to find a good balance between work and private life." 

Do you have a favorite time of year?
"Spring, everyone gets excited to get back into the fields and get back to work. But actually every phase has its own charm."

What do you do in your spare time?
"When I'm not at the company, I'm on the football field. Sunday is football day, if work permits."

How did chicken farming come about?
"Three years ago we took over our neighbour's company. Where 130.000 chickens used to be kept, we now house 80.000 'star chickens'. We adapted the stables for this."

What do you think about the high land prices?
"Land has always been too expensive. You can never calculate it unless you see it as an extension of your collateral. In the long run, ownership is the best thing for your business."

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