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Together with producers and distributors, our research team has succeeded in shipping fresh-cut flowers, fresh vegetables and fruits from and to various parts of the world in sea containers, at a fraction of the costs of air-freight, with the products maintaining their freshness and saleability. Research is still being carried out to improve the procedures and develop yardsticks for long-term application.
Airy packaging for gerberas to fight Botrytis
Gewasnieuws Gerbera, 19 January 2008, vol. 11, no. 4, p. 4
This article is in Dutch.
Sea freight distribution of fresh cut flowers
Floral Culture International, October 2007, pp 36-38
Sea freight will never be synonymous with day fresh products, but perhaps the cut flower sector will one day learn the lesson from Aesop's fable 'The hare and the tortoise' - "Slow but steady wins the race.". More...
Flowers by sea? Sure!
EVO Logistiek, June 2007, pp 4-7
Increasing energy and labour costs, growing international competition, virtual market places and the dollar's rising exchange rates ... these are only a few of the challenges confronted by the Dutch ornamental plant sector. Now that the prices of air transport are getting out of hand, it is becoming very attractive to transport flowers by sea containers. The first results have been promising. Is the ornamental plant sector on the verge of a logistics revolution?
This article is in Dutch.
Technology for transporting fresh foods
WUR-For Quality of Life, June 2005, pp 38-39
Article is in English.
Flowers go by ship
De Telegraaf, 29 juni 2005
Flowers by ship to America? Many would think that they would have wilted upon reaching the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Nothing is further than the truth. The flowers arrive in good shape, have a long 'shelf-life' and the transport costs are a fraction of airfreight costs. Article is available in Dutch.
Trans-Atlantic experimentation
FloraCulture International, June 2005
Shipping tulips in sea containers between The Netherlands and the United States yields unexpected results. More...
Cut flowers remain fresh during long sea journey to the U.S.
Bloemenkrant, 3 mei 2005
Fresh cut flowers remain fresh in cooled sea containers(
Oogst Tuinbouw, 1 april. 2005
Tulips at the end of air journey (at left), sea journey (right)
Transporting fresh cut flowers by ship to the United States do not have negative effects on the quality, even though the journey takes longer than by air. This is the result of research carried out by Agrotechnology and Food Innovations in Wageningen. Article is available in Dutch.
Flower bulbs are sea-worthy
Vakblad voor de Bloemisterig 12, 2005, pp 20-21
Tulips, narcissuses and amaryllises have crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in a ship, arriving without being none the worse for such a journey. This cargo was shipped at the beginning of Februari from The Netherlands to the United States. The flowers have found their way into shops in Boston, Philadelphia and Miami after 15 days. Both exporters and buyers are satisfied. Article is available in Dutch.
Flowers board the ship for America
Groot Handelsblad, maart.2005, pp 4-5
Shipping flowers over the ocean from The Netherlands to America is not what usually comes to mind. However, this manner of transport offers good possibilities. Experiments and a test case have shown that the quality of the flowers are not affected by a journey of almost two weeks. A second test container is currently on the way to the other side of the ocean. This time, the important question will be: can we further streamline the logistics aspect in such a way that the journey can be shortened by several days? Article is available in Dutch.
PT finances sea transport of flowers to the USA
Vakblad voor de Bloemisterij 8, 25 Feb. 2005, pp 44-45
The Dutch Horticultural Trade Association
(Product Tuinbouw, PT) will co-finance a real sea cargo of flowers from
The Netherlands to the USA, as part of a research project into control of
quality loss. Laboratory tests have clearly shown that quality loss can be kept
to manageable limits. Dutch flower exporters have indicated that they want to be
less dependant on air transport and consider sea transport as an alternative.
Researchers from EC-Pack/Wageningen UR are in the
middle of this project. The PT has also given the green light for 15 other
projects. Article is
available in Dutch.
Airlines miss de boat
Luchtvracht, 35e jaargang, september 2004, pp 6-8
Transporting flowers and bouquets directly from
the auction centres in Aalsmeer to the United States... should be the task of
the Dutch air industry. But in the building of Agrotechnology & Food Innovatios
in Wageningen, a 40-foot sea container is cooling itself up for a shot at the
beginning of a success story. The container is part of the research project 'Sea
transport of flowers'.
Article is
available in Dutch.
Across the ocean in a container for flowers
De Gelderlander, 27 August 2004
Transporting cut flowers to the United States by air is now very expensive. Dutch flower exporters can hardly compete in the markets there. Research done for Productschap Tuinbouw by Wageningen University / EC-Pack comes up with a alternative, cheaper by about 70 to 80 percent. Article is available in Dutch.
The sea's the limit for Dutch fresh-cut flowers
Published on this site: 11 April 2005
Flowers by sea to the United States
Logistiek Krant, no. 6, 2 april 2004
Wageningen University is carrying out a project which will make it possible to transport cut flowers from The Netherlands by sea containers to the United States. This form of transport will enable competition with air-flown flowers from Middle and South America. Article is available in Dutch.
Technology for transporting fresh foods
WUR-For Quality of Life, June 2005, pp 38-39
Article is in English.
Longer shelflife, lower transport costs for tomatoes on the vine
Logistiek Krant, 7 September 2001: p. 10
In 1999, more than 35,000 tons of tomatoes on the vine were exported to the USA. This declined to 28,000 tons in 2000 due to increasing competition from Canada, Mexico and the USA itself. These competitors are located closer to the American market and can offer the products cheaper due to lower transport costs. Vegetable and fruit exporter Botman International therefore undertook to research into how to prolong the shelflife of tomatoes on the vine, so that they can be transported cheaply over the ocean instead of via the air. The tranport costs are reduced by 20% as a result and the competitive postition of Dutch exporters restored. Article is available in Dutch.
Tomatoes on the vine needs special care in transportation
Groenten en Fruit, 1 Juni 2001: pp. 18-19, authors: Harmannus Harkema en Hans de Wild)
While sea transport of vine tomatoes is cheaper than by air and in turn reduces their prices research has shown that only certain varieties of vine tomatoes can be handled in this way. Furthermore, the initial quality of the product must be superb, and transport requirements must be set up and met with, in relation to temperture, relative humidity and packaging. Article is available in Dutch.
Tomatoes on the vine board the ship to destinations faraway
Vakblad AGF, 18 May 2001: pp.14-15, authors: Harmannus Harkema, Hans de Wild en Henry Boerrigter)
May 2001: EC-Pack has researched into possibilities of refrigerated transport of tomatoes on the vine to faraway markets. It had become clear that container transport is only possible for a number of species and pre-requisites are excellent quality, fast handling and maintaining the right temperature, relative humidity and packaging. Article is available in Dutch.