biobeds and annual inspections and audits.” None of these present problems at Hooymans, but there is room for improvement according to Jan. “Enforcement at municipal level was a bit problematic because of the complexity of the subject and the permits and legislation, but one step up at provincial authority level we see these control measures as strict but constructive. A good working relationship with the authorities is of course crucial. The Omgevingsdienst Rivierenland, an authority that grants environ- mental permits in our region, inspects on a strict, structured but sound basis. They carry out inspections on site using measuring sensors and so on.”
Piet explains why the company has nothing to fear during these inspections. “If you compost indoors, the process itself is very complex and systematic. The production process of compost is therefore safeguarded in many ways; the production process is more stable and professio- nal.” Jan: “We continually measure and analyse certain parameters in the process ourselves and know precisely what is going on in the compos- ting plant. You constantly have a finger on the pulse and know what stage the compost is in. It’s our profession after all. In addition, we can recycle our output product, an advantage that pig farmers, for instance, don’t have.” In the Netherlands, all composters have installations suitable for the process. “There is so much expertise present that everyone knows what they have to do to get it right.”
Even playing fi eld
One small point of contention is that outdoor composting is still permitted in other (EU) countries, with far fewer regulations and subsidised. “A single blanket standard applies in the Netherlands, but to create an even playing field, the same rules should apply to other EU member states as well. Now it’s a sort of double standard and as we all operate in the same market, what the EU is actually doing is stimula- ting a shift of mushroom and compost produc- tion eastwards”, says Jan. “The Dutch Consumer and Food Safety Authority (NVWA) is also far more rigorous and exacting than comparable authorities abroad”, Petra adds. Another point according to Jan is the huge advances made in measuring technology – rapid developments that often leave legislation lagging behind, or forced to resort to guesswork. “This sometimes leads to an over the top response to incidents in the food chain, unfair treatment (for example, mushrooms are subject to stricter inspections than bread…), and an arbitrary approach. On the other hand, the Dutch authorities are also called to account in no small way if any mishaps occur.”
Filling hall with Christiaens hardware. The whole compostingprocess is indoor.
One aspect that frustrates all three is the fact that – in general – Dutch producers do not notice any positive financial benefits attached to selling ‘local-grown’ mushrooms in supermarkets.
Benefi ts
Jan also see benefits in the strict and far-rea- ching legislation and regulations: “Thanks in part to the high standards, Dutch produce enjoys an excellent reputation internationally. We produce in the upper echelons of excellence and expertise and our product bears the stamp of ‘reliability’ – achievements we should all be proud of.” Piet: “That high level process, and the end product, means we can answer all the questions, operate transparently, and stand to prove that ‘Holland Limited’ leads the way globally in compost for mushroom growing.” What about foreign competition? Ultimately governments and authorities in other countries will also have to implement stricter controls, is the opinion at Hooymans.
Jan mentions another argument that puts the pressure of regulations into proportion. “Com- post used to be produced on several sites in villages without the interference of rules and regulations, but today’s generation has matured as it were along with the changing legislation and standards. And the next generation will follow suit, helped by increasing digitisation of the processes.” Petra: “It has become a natural part of the process, part of the DNA of enterprise.”
More export, more controls Hooymans exports around 25 to 30% of its own, full-grown compost. The majority of this volume
‘Today’s compost making
generation has
matured as it were along with the changing
legislation and standards’
MUSHROOM BUSINESS 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
