Dutch greenhouse industry urgently needs water: there is consultation, but no solution yet

A ban on withdrawing surface water has been in effect in the region since August 5. "If the dikes weaken due to drought, the safety of the 1.25 million residents in our region is at stake." As a result, no freshwater is currently available for other uses.

"It's unacceptable that usable water is being pumped into the sea while growers watch their crops wither," said Jacco Vooijs, regional chair of Glastuinbouw Westland en Oostland, after a meeting on August 5 that failed to produce the outcome the sector had hoped for. Growers awaiting rain and a solution Glastuinbouw Nederland expects the situation to become critical from August 11 onward, with a risk of bankruptcies among affected growers, the association told NRC.

Boon en Zonen in 's-Gravenzande filled his water basin before the ban took effect on August 5, but after roughly a week of dry weather it was empty again. Frontpage photo: © Thijmen Tiersma | VerticalFarmDaily.com Publication date: Tue 11 Aug 2026 © VerticalFarmDaily.com / Contact Related Articles → See More US CEA industry more positive Dutch greenhouse industry urgently needs water: there is consultation, but no solution yet UK: Indoor growing takes root in rural Berkshire Greenhouse lettuce already seeing lift on wholesale demand Attorneys begin filing lawsuits over contaminated lettuce linked to outbreak of cyclospora Are consumers suddenly scared of fresh produce following Cyclospora outbreak?

Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?

Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.

What is the operator takeaway from this trial?

If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.

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