Cherry grower Gijsbert van Randwijk:
Tholen – Minister Adema’s decision to no longer grant the exemption for the use of the substances Tracer and Exirel came as a bolt from the blue for the cherry growers. “If this really becomes reality, the majority of the harvest will be lost. But I don’t really want to think about this worst-case scenario yet,” says cherry grower Gijsbert van Randwijk from Strijensas.
He also calls the decision the greatest possible nonsense. “The decision was based on the fact that there were people in 2021 who did not work according to the rules, but you cannot make the entire sector pay for that, can you? If someone without a driver’s license causes a car accident, you cannot say that no one is allowed to drive anymore! I cannot imagine that this ruling will stand up in court.”
“Moreover, it is inexplicable that Belgian and German growers are allowed to use these products. That simply creates false competition. Private individuals can also simply buy the products for their garden and we as cherry growers would not be allowed to do so. Should this decision go ahead , then a large part of the cherry cultivation will be lost. The sorting costs are also incalculable, but I don’t want to think about this for the time being.”
According to Gijsbert, cultivation without the aforementioned resources is practically impossible. “We already work on the side of the orchard with special nets to protect the cherries against the Suzuki fruit fly, but this pest is developing so quickly that it is not yet sufficient. You simply cannot do without the means. Fortunately, today we have As a sector, we have been given a few minutes of speaking time in the House of Representatives. I hope that we can also convince politicians of the bizarre consequences of this decision.”
See also the video below of Jolanda Nooijen with BBB leader Caroline van der Plas:
For more information:
Van Randwijk and Van Doorn Fruit
Gijsbert van Randwijk
Nijverheidstraat 9
3291 CH Strijen
Tel: +31 (0)6 53 67 95 99
[email protected]
www.hollandsekersen.nl
