Vegetable Growers Study Tour – Germany, Netherlands
The 2014 Europe Grower Study Tour took place in February 2014 and provided eight vegetable levy payers with the opportunity to visit innovative vegetable producers, pack houses and researchers throughout Germany and France and attend Berlin Fruit Logistica 2014, one of the largest fresh produce trade events in the world. The study tour was funded by HAL using the National Vegetable Levy, voluntary contributions from industry and matched funds from the Australian Government. The main focus of the study tour was to educate vegetable growers about the latest production methods and business structures operating in Europe and provide access – through Berlin Fruit Logistica 2014 and site visits to farming operations – to a range of networking opportunities involving importers and exporters, vegetable producers, the wholesale and retail trade, packaging and transport representatives. Growers were able to visit farming operations in the brassica hub of Europe ‘Brittany’ which accommodates field production, as well as greenhouses. With 25% of the national output, Brittany is the leading region for vegetable crop production in France and one of the most important within Europe. Therefore, it served as the perfect destination for the study tour in order to facilitate learning opportunities for vegetable levy payers. Major regional crops in Brittany include cauliflower, artichoke, shallots and broccoli (comprising 80% of national production for these four). Field cropping of vegetables covers around 70,000 hectares, largely in the northern coastal area where good soils and a favourable maritime climate allow year-round production. It was for this reason that Brittany, and neighbouring Normandy, were chosen for the tour. With their favourable growing conditions this enabled participants to see production both in the field and in greenhouses, even though the tour occurred during winter. Two vegetable grower cooperatives operating under the leading Prince de Bretagne brand were v