News Agrifirm
'We have to improve the entire chain together'
"Agrifirm dares to stick its neck out, even if the revenue model is not yet completely certain," said CEO Dick Hordijk at the youth day of the cooperative today in Apeldoorn. There it is a lot about the future perspective of the young farmer, something that is true. Agrifirm also plays a role in this.
Agrifirm cannot throw money around, Hordijk emphasizes. For innovations, the cooperative is prepared to partially absorb the blow if, for example, the harvest fails. According to the director, the company does this because the farmer already has to take so much risk.
"We have cooperative projects. Last year we concluded a contract with the grower for integrated crop cultivation in bulb cultivation. It states that if your cultivation is disappointing as a result, we will cover the difference. You don't do that for everyone, it involved tens of thousands of euros. ''' adds Director of Public Affairs Ruud Tijssens.
According to Hordijk, this way Agrifirm can try out new innovations on a larger scale, from 2 hectares to 100 hectares. A few years ago, €900.000 per year was pledged for this. ''We really want to radiate that we are doing our part, but we don't have the more than half a billion that is needed to make the transition and can't just be removed from the chain. Part of that must also be obtained from the consumer, for example through better prices.”
Hordijk has been in constant talks with the rest of the chain lately. "When you talk to each other, people immediately say: 'We can stand opposite each other, but then of course we achieve nothing.' We have to work together to improve the entire chain."
Max van der Heyden
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