Eurofins Agro has joined the Netherlands Vietnamese Horticulture Business Platform (NVHBP) as a ‘Gold Member’. Through this platform, Eurofins Agro provides knowledge and insight to growers in Vietnam. A number of Vietnamese growers has now gained experience, such as the Sapa Hitech lily nursery. Thanks to the Eurofins Agro analyzes and the accompanying advice, the company was able to optimize the fertilization and also grow more cultivars
Sapa Lily Farm
The Vietnamese company MimosaTek in Ho Chi Minh City acts as a local supplier. MimosaTek was founded in 2014 and has the ambition to support growers in professionalizing and modernizing their business by using modern technology. Eurofins Agro is a supplier of the complete package of horticultural analyzes (water, soil and crop).
Theo Aanhane, Business Unit Manager Greenhouse Horticulture at Eurofins Agro, is pleased with the new collaboration. He says: “Southeast Asia in general, and Vietnam in particular, is an emerging market when it comes to greenhouse horticulture. The national government is investing heavily in supporting the development of modern horticulture. Quite recently, a cooperation agreement was established between the Dutch government and Vietnam. In the past year Eurofins Agro has been able to carry out hundreds of analyzes for Vietnamese vegetable and ornamental growers. Participating in this platform is a logical next step for us.”
Simple model
“The collaboration takes place according to a simple model,” states MimosaTek. “MimosaTek is the single point of contact for Vietnamese growers. A MimosaTek employee takes the samples, collects them and prepares them for transport to the Netherlands. Eurofins Agro analyzes the samples within 24 hours after arrival of the samples in the laboratory. The results and crop specific target values and recommendations are sent digitally to MimosaTek. The MimosaTek team then translates the reports for the Vietnamese growers and provides explanations and advice if necessary.”
Better quality and yield
One of the companies that uses Eurofins Agro’s analyzes is Sapa Hitech. This company grows lilies, gerberas and begonias in the Sapa area, 400 km north of Hanoi City at 1,500 meters above sea level. The climate is very suitable for the cultivation of flowers in summer, but the soil fertility is moderate. In 2019, Sapa Hightech therefore started taking soil samples for lily cultivation. Two types of land were submitted; yellow and black earth. Thanks to the analyzes and advice from Eurofins Agro and MimosaTEK, the grower gained insight into the structure and nutritional status of the soil. As a result, fertilization has been adjusted and better adapted for lily culture. Now, fertilization is more effective and besides Sapa Hitech is able to grow a wider range of lily varieties at the same nursery.
The Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform is a partnership of and for Dutch and Vietnamese companies, institutions and government organizations active in the horticultural sector. The platform bundles knowledge, technology and experience from the entire horticultural chain in Vietnam and the Netherlands.
For more information:
Eurofins Agro https://eurofins-agro.com/
Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform https://www.nvhortiplatform.com/
MimosaTek
https://mimosatek.com/en/
