JICA (Japan International Corporation Agency / (www.jica.go.jp) contacted the services of PlaNet Finance Japan (PFJ / www.planetfinance.or.jp) to implement the research of the project named “Survey on Microfinance Sector in Albania by Assisting its Development”. Its main goal is to strengthen the Albanian agricultural sector by assisting with the Albanian microfinance and financial inclusion stakeholders.

Since JICA and PFJ have no local presence in Albania, they have partnered with the local ASC Union (Albanian Savings and Credit Union / www.ascunion.org.al). One of the components of the project is to organize workshops and international study tours to expose the various financial inclusion actors (including members of FED Invest) to international practices and models on cooperatives and financial inclusion in Europe, Africa and Asia. In Europe,  the Netherlands and France have been selected for the visits as well as to learn about agricultural financing, working of cooperatives, and also about farms.

PFJ requested HollandDoor to organize an inspiring introduction into Dutch Agribusiness. This exposure should trigger the minds of the trainees to define new strategies of optimizing the Albanian Agro cluster by means of e.g. new financial incentives. Training of the selected officials should realize exposure to modern global agribusiness concepts, supply chains and modern practices in value addition and supply chain management.

On Thursday 17 March 2016, the program started with a seminar by Niek Botden about The Netherlands in general and more specific about how its agricultural sector has developed and has been organized and financed and what challenges it faces. After the lecture, the group visited Duijnisveld Sweet Pepper, Sion Orchids and Greenpack. On Friday, visits were paid to FloraHolland and Rabobank in Eindhoven. Based on the seminar and visits, many discussions took place about the (im-)possibilities for implementation of the Dutch (financial) techniques into Albanian agriculture.

HollandDoor wants to thank above mentioned companies for their hospitality. 

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UTZ (www.utz.org), who is known for its ongoing efforts to make this world more sustainable, requested HollandDoor to organize an inspiring visit to a high-tech Dutch greenhouse. The objective of this visit was to get about 35 UTZ country representatives, who are directly in contact with farmers of coffee, tea and cacao, acqainted with  high-tech greenhouse production facilities of vegetables. Proposed result was to trigger the minds of UTZ employees to think of new strategies to optimize production systems and connected processes at UTZ certified farms.

As part of the UTZ Global meeting in Amsterdam, HollandDoor organized a tailor-made study tour to Duijnisveld Sweet Pepper in Nieuwveen, on Saturday 23 January 2016. The morning started with an opening seminar by Niek Botden about the current global agro challenges. After which Ruud and Wendy Duijnisveld gave a tour on their company during which they explained and showed in detail how a Dutch high-tech sweet pepper greenhouse works.  Themes like plant physiology, production, logistics and marketing, energy, irrigation, fertigation, hydroponics and recirculation of water and nutrients, biological pest control and labor matters were discussed in detail.

The UTZ participants were impressed by the technology and the company’s working procedures which resulted in interesting discussions about conversion and implementation possibilities in daily and future global UTZ certified farms. The morning was completed with a nice lunch in Nieuwveen. 

HollandDoor wants to thank Duijnisveld for their hospitality.

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Every year, the Centre for Development Innovation, part of Wageningen UR (CDI-WUR) organizes the course “Market access for sustainable development’’, which targets mid-career professionals from developing countries. Once again many participants signed up. For this reason the course was held twice, in December 2015 and January 2016.

Like the previous years, HollandDoor had taken on part of the course. On 3 December 2015 and 14 January 2016, HollandDoor gave a lecture titled: “Supply Chain Management in Global Agriculture with focus on horticulture”.

Moreover, an excursion was organized to Solisplant and GreenQ/DLV Plant (now Delphy) for the first training on Tuesday 8 December 2015. The second group visited Sion and Delphy on Tuesday 19 January 2016.

The 56 course participants from 14 different countries were informed about the production techniques that were being used. Furthermore the importance of the cooperation between Dutch growers, suppliers and knowledge institutes, who work together on innovations, became clear to the candidates .

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Early 2015, Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group / www.dsgroup.com) from India approached HollandDoor to assist in their search for a Dutch joint-business development partner.  

DS Group is a rapidly growing multi-diversified conglomerate and has a strong presence in high growth sectors such as food & beverages, hospitality, mouth fresheners & tobacco among others. Currently, DSGroup is buying essential flower oils, which it needs as ingredient for their products, on the free market in mainly India. These essential flower oils can be, for example rose, and jasmine oil. DSGroup group wants to vertical integrate the start of their supply chains to have more control on continuity, quality and innovation in essential oil production. 

DSGroup group concluded that it has not the capacity nor the ambition to realize essential flower oil production themselves. However they can facilitate with land availability and secure sales. DSGroup requested HollandDoor to search for a Dutch joint-business development partner who wants to realize large scale flower production for essential oils.

For the past 6 months HollandDoor has realized a detailed Dutch partner profile and continued with making long- and shortlists. Via various meetings combined with a visit of DSGroup to Holland, some potential partners were found. Currently, the possibility of joint-business development is being researched.

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