Petra de Kam
Deputy Secretary-General
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and nature
Working with Naktuinbouw is very enjoyable. The organisation performs outstanding work of high quality. This is also demonstrated by the statutory assessments that are organised every five years and is apparent in my contacts with Naktuinbouw due to my role. Naktuinbouw and I meet at board meetings or on location in Roelofarendsveen, where I was given a guided tour of the greenhouses. At these moments, the management and the board proudly explain about the organisation and I can experience what it feels like in their professional environment. These visits clearly convey the complexity of Naktuinbouw's work and the dedication of its employees. I greatly appreciate the open and honest nature of our contact, the need for innovation and improvement, and also the cooperation with partners.
Cooperation is an important theme that extends not only to LVVN and the NVWA, but also with and between the various other inspection authorities for plants and other products. This collaboration has a long history and continues to intensify and strengthen. Together we are stronger! We are also examining together how Naktuinbouw contributes to the social goals set by LVVN through research, inspections, tests and safeguarding knowledge. It was valuable to explore these aspects together in 2024.
I look forward to a fine working partnership again in 2025!
Susanne Sütterlin
MT Member, Plant Supply Chains and Food Quality Department
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and nature
In 2024, director John van Ruiten said farewell to Naktuinbouw and transferred his duties to a new director. We worked closely for many years on content and strategy, with great satisfaction. This excellent cooperation has been continued with the new management at Naktuinbouw. Together, we will implement the points for improvement revealed by the five-yearly assessment cycle at Naktuinbouw. As part of this, our mutual roles and responsibilities will be defined in a ‘protocol of work agreements’, which we will sign in 2025.
Another joint project we worked on last year was in the council working parties for the proposed European Regulation for Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) and the Regulation for Forest Plant Reproductive Material (FRM). Naktuinbouw's experience with quality regulations forms a vital and substantiated input to these European projects. We can also utilise our networks to promote and serve Dutch interests. It is very encouraging to see Naktuinbouw’s active contribution to this. As far as I am concerned, we should continue this great cooperation in the future!
Corné van Alphen
Director National Plant Protection Organisation
Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority
In 2024, together with Naktuinbouw and the other parties involved, we celebrated ‘125 Years of Protecting Plant Health in a Changing Environment’ during an international symposium. Our system may well be 125 years ‘old ’ but it is still relevant today, as evidenced by all the plenary and thematic break-out sessions and the panel discussion at the end of that day. This is due in part to the continuous developments we are experiencing together. For example, in 2024 we implemented the agreements made at the end of 2023 in the renewed Multi-year Agreement between LVVN, NVWA and the four plant inspection authorities. We also clarified the agreements regarding the division of responsibilities and implementation when quarantine organisms are defected. This proved to be highly relevant, as the status of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) changed from a quarantine organism (Q) to a Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest (RNQP) on 1 January 2025. This means that the plant inspection authority, in this case Naktuinbouw, is responsible for imposing measures and no longer the NVWA. Finally, a project team consisting of NVWA, LVVN and Naktuinbouw worked hard on the new accreditation ‘Laboratories Authorised for Export of Seed’ (LEEZ), which regulates the use of NAL test results for seed export certification. LEEZ came into force on 1 February 2025. A satisfactory result and a great platform for further development in 2025.