Tomatoes loved across Belgium and beyond
In the late 1980s, fresh produce and the market for them looked very different in Belgium. At this time, Mitch’s parents started growing tomatoes, initially only beef tomatoes. “You couldn’t get many other varieties at that time,” Mitch explains. “So when my father started growing the first plum tomatoes in the mid-1990s, the business grew quickly.” “Cultivation methods eventually evolved, and from 2015, thanks to artificial light, we could grow tomatoes during the winter months.”
For Mitch, who grew up among tomatoes, it is the passion for innovation and entrepreneurship that brings him happiness in his current role. “Together with my sister and parents, I run the company. It’s a great challenge. I actually have a technical background which come in handy in horticulture. For example, we are intensively testing new sensors that let us know how a plant is feeling. The balance in light and moisture, and whether the plant is growing or experiencing stress, used to be estimated by the grower themselves. But with up to 4.9 plants per metre, and more than 80 hectares to check, technology is more than welcome to help us with monitoring.”