Alken (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Two Dutch colleagues take on financial and operational duties to rescue the established fruit tree nursery René Nicolaï from Alken from bankruptcy. The information comes from Mediahuis newspapers, while Kristien Treunen, who supports the tree nursery, legally confirms it.
Two Dutch competitors, Verbeek Boomkwekerijen and Van Ingen Group, extended their support in terms of finances and operations to René Nicolaï’s century-old fruit tree nursery in Alken, Belgium, to stop it from going bankrupt.
The company experienced financial distress after filing for judicial reorganisation because it faced rising operating expenses and industry-wide challenges with its reputation built on apple pear, and cherry trees.
“Although the company has been around for a long time and has a good reputation, it has run into serious trouble in recent years,”
says Kristien Treunen of consultancy firm Resolide, which provides legal support to René Nicolaï.
“That was partly due to the general malaise in the fruit sector and the fact that operational costs have increased,”
she says.
“The company has been unable to provide sufficient answers to that, which is why we have gotten into trouble.”
The Court in Hasselt extended payment deadlines to July 4 while enabling the company to finish its restructuring proposal that creditors will decide upon before June 20.
The fruit tree nursery, therefore, requested a judicial reorganisation at the commercial court in Hasselt. This also protects the company from creditors.
“The court granted that request and granted us a deferment of payment until July 4,”
says Treunen.
“We are now busy drawing up that reorganization plan, so that we can present it on June 20. That is when the creditors have to vote on it.”
Treunen cannot yet provide details about the reorganization, but does say that René Nicolaï was looking for partners who want to support the company.
“On the one hand, this is necessary on a financial level, because the company really needs a financial injection. But it is also important on an operational level. The partners must help us to modernize the operational functioning and make it more efficient.”
The fruit tree nursery has now found these partners in two industry peers from the Netherlands: Verbeek Boomkwekerijen from Steenbergen and Van Ingen Group from Wamel. “They are very well-known names in the sector,” says Treunen.
“It is important to mention that this is not a takeover,” she emphasises. “We are going for a sustainable collaboration, in which these partners bring together their knowledge and skills to create a stronger whole. That brings opportunities for the sector, both in the Netherlands and here in Limburg.”
What is the economic and agricultural context of fruit farming in Limburg?
Commercial fruit farming in Limburg performs a crucial economic role in Belgium while maintaining about 7,500 hectares of land dedicated to apple, pear and cherry production.
Statistical data from the Belgian Statistics Office shows that Limburg produces 70% of the country’s total fruits, which generates a yearly revenue of around €250 million.
The sector experiences growing challenges because, according to data from the Flemish Department of Agriculture, production expenses rose by 22% from 2020 to 2023 (fertilisers, energy, labour).
Recent climate change events have made weather risks worse because severe frosts resulted in €30 million worth of crop destruction in 2021.
The agricultural trade relations between the Netherlands and Belgium persist strongly because the Netherlands ranks as Belgium’s second-largest destination for fruit tree exports. René Nicolaï and his Dutch nursery partners participate in executive agreements that represent an increasing number of international business partnerships focused on efficiency.
The European Nursery Stock Association (ENA) reports that more than 15% of European fruit nurseries started looking for merger deals or business partnerships in 2020 because of financial problems.
The judicial reorganisation process implemented at René Nicolaï has driven at least five other Belgian agribusiness organisations to initiate similar proceedings for the past two years throughout the unstable sector. Successful collaboration between Plantefruit and Conceptplant will demonstrate how to help other struggling horticultural companies in the vicinity.
