Holland Greentech is a distribution company that offers African farmers an integrated portfolio from quality Dutch companies. This consists of a range of input products from industry leaders in irrigation, seed, and greenhouses, which they showcased at the recent AgriTech Zambia.
“We pride ourselves in being a provider of inputs for the vegetable farmer,” explains Patricia Mwansa, Agronomist at Holland Greentech. “We not only focus on products, but providing service that helps the farmer grow.”
“Our aim is to sell a business. That is why we hold our farmer’s hands and guide them through production – even if you have never farmed before. Small- or large scale, as long as you approach farming as a business, you will be profitable.”
The experts at this company assist new and existing farmers by looking at their case. They investigate what your goals are, determine your expected income and provide you with a list of products and services you need. On top of the inputs that they offer, Holland Greentech can also provide farmers with market access, thanks to their relationship with Zambian supermarkets.
Under the variety of inputs that Holland Greentech provide farmers with, the company has solutions for soil testing, drip, sprinklers, misters and micro-jet irrigation equipment from Rivilus, and hybrid vegetable seeds from RijkZwaan. The company also offers greenhouses from Quinta.
World-class suppliers help farmers grow through Holland Greentech
Rivilus is an irrigation company that specialises in micro irrigation and drip irrigation. “We are the second biggest suppliers of micro irrigation and drip irrigation, and world leader in seasonal drip,” Rhyk Welgemoed, Sales Manager at Rivulis says.
Holland Greentech provides customers with irrigation products, including irrigation management thanks to the WCADI software that is integrated with the Rivilus systems. This means that even an emerging farmer can use the latest technology to boost production.
At the Zambia AgriTech expo, their plot demonstrated how the various products supplied through Holland Greentech can be used in synergy on the farm. The farmer, for instance, can purchase hybrid crop seed such as cabbage, peppers, lettuce and many more. It can be planted in an open field or a greenhouse provided by the distribution company. Together with the irrigation system as laid out in the demonstration, and pesticides from Koppert Biological Systems shows expo visitors how crops can flourish.
“We recommend certain products based on our own research. On this plot we have planted the cabbage variety Tacoma, which is strong and resistant to many common pests, making the crop environmentally friendly since the spraying of pesticides are reduced. It is also early maturing,” says Patricia Mwansa, Agronomist at Holland Greentech. “We also have a variety of sweet peppers, including the Red Jet variety. It is strong in the field, and tolerant to diseases and pests. It is ideal in the greenhouse, producing it for 7 – 8 months. But it easily also grows in the field.”
Other vegetables that they provide include yellow peppers, hot peppers and African eggplant – Kazinga, it is a hybrid that has a longer shelf life. There is also a range of lettuce such as red lettuce.
Crop protection and soil care with Holland Greentech
Although many of the vegetable seeds that Holland Greentech provides are resistant to pests, the supplier offers farmers biological pest control solutions.
Thanks to Koppert Biological Systems, a leader in biological pest control, the distributor provides farmers with pest control that is better for people and the planet.
To ensure every farmer understands his soil and what his crops need, Holland Greentech also provides soil analysis and advice. Soil Scanner spectrograph tests from AgroCares provide information on the pH, CEC, NPK, Organic matter content, suitable crops and advice on amendment. With this information, farmers can grow with peace of mind as they do not need to guess how to manage their soils and crops.
Irrigation solutions that Holland Greentech provides
The top-selling product is our T-tape for crops. The tape operates on 0,5 bar pressure and it has run lengths of 120 to 150 m. The tape is very durable and can last for over four seasons depending on management. The tape also comes with an internal filter which reduces clogging chances to almost zero. It comes with an emitter spacing of 20cm which gives freedom to a farmer to follow any crop spacing.
The company also supplies micro-jets. The most renowned are the Tornado which has a spray range of 3,6 m in diameter. The next is the Rondo and has a 5,8 m spray diameter. The biggest is the S2000 and it has a spray range of 6 m in diameter. All the micro-jets spray 360 degrees. The company has sprinklers, misters and a range of irrigation equipment and accessories to meet different clientele demands.
Greenhouses are the latest addition at Holland Greentech
The latest product that Holland Greentech offers is the range of greenhouses.
“Our most popular greenhouse product is the Africa 14. It is named this due to the dimensions. 14 by 36 m,” says Ferai Maluta, Greenhouse Technician at Holland Greentech. “The second product that farmers can choose is our Africa 10 which is 10 by 42 m.”
Under the greenhouse division, there is also shade net and accessories. “We also design and create set ups for the farmer’s nurseries.
Our greenhouses’ popularity is due to its characteristics such as the air circulation. It uses natural air circulating through convection. It comes with vents and does not overheat. What that implies for the farmer is that they spend less on manual labour, pest control, and water.”
Holland Greentech includes the installation within the purchase. This means that they have a skilled team who will complete the installation on your farm and on time. It takes approximately fourteen days to erect.
The steel structure has an estimated lifespan of fifteen years, and the plastic can be expected to last up to five years.
To find out more about Holland Greentech and the products they have to help you grow, visit their website or Facebook.