English summary

Breeding, tissue culture, production and trade of seeds and young plants
Re-productive plantmaterial provides the basis for a long chain that finally ends with a wide range of vegetable products. Commercial cultivators are involved in an ongoing, intensive programme of research and development to produce seed for sowing and young plants, whose end products will eventually fill the shelves in shops and garden centres to the tune of may million euros. The Netherlands is one of the world leaders in the production of parental material. Many firms are globally active and export to numerous different countries. The members of Plantum NL account for sales of more than 1,3 billion euro. Dutch floricultural breeders and multipliers currently account for around 40% of total world sales! The sector provides many jobs both inside and outside The Netherlands.

The sector is in full international swing. Companies come across each other with increasing frequency in existing and new markets. Strategic take-overs cause shifts in positioning. The Netherlands itself is no longer the automatic choice of location. Levels of knowledge and know-how more and more determine competitive position. New techniques like the use of DNA markers open up massive possibilities but they also involve huge investment. The breeders focus on breeding varieties with resistance and steps are being taken in the direction of biological breeding.

Plantum NL - the organisation
Plantum NL is the Dutch association for breeding, tissue culture, production and trade of seeds and young plants. Plantum NL represents some 500 businesses in floriculture, horiculture and agriculture, giving voice when it comes to discussions with government bodies, social organisations and other parties involved in agribusiness. The affliliated firms are active in the fields of plant breeding, growing for cuttings and youg plants and treading in plant materials as seeds.
Collaboration in Plantum NL is aimed at creating international credibility and a common vision of the sector's future.

Plantum NL provides some ten platforms where common interests are agreed.
Important cor issues include the protection of breeder's rights, supporting the trend towards sustainable production, providing guidance for fundamental and pratical research into parental material, assuring the availability of an effective package of plant protection measures for the sector, promoting the sector parental material, improving product quality and overcoming trade barriers. In addition Plantum NL is involved in the formulation of collective wage agreements.

Plantum NL also represents the Dutch business in iternational organisations such as CIOPORA, the International Seed Federation and and ESA (the European Seed Association).

Contact information

Plantum NL
P.O. Box 462
2800 AL Gouda
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 - 182 - 688 668
Fax: +31 - 182 - 688 667
Email: info@plantum.nl

Visitors address:
Vossenburchkade 68
Gouda
The Netherlands