Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the Benelux countries and the EU institutions visits plant breeder and propagator Beekenkamp

Left to right Marc Driessen, Terefe Dida Meriyane, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the Benelux countries and the EU institutions, Ms Hirut Zemene Kassa, Mohammed A. Hussen, and Peter Zaat.

A delegation of Brussels-based Ethiopian Embassy staff, including Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the Benelux countries and the EU institutions, Ms Hirut Zemene, travelled to Maasdijk, Netherlands this week to meet with Marc Driessen and Peter Zaat, director Beekenkamp Ornamentals and director Deliflor Chrysanten respectively. The pair explained to the dignitaries why Beekenkamp’s cuttings farm, Maranque Plants PLC in Ethiopia’s Arsi Zone, plays a vital role in their daily business.

Beekenkamp Group is a family-owned plant breeding and propagation business. The company has grown from strength to strength since its foundation in 1951. The conglomerate comprises four specialised divisions: Beekenkamp Vegetables, Beekenkamp Ornamentals, Beekenkamp Packaging and Deliflor Chrysanthemums.

Marc Driessen, aged 53, spent 14 years establishing Beekenkamp’s presence in Ethiopia by setting up a cutting farm 130km southeast of Addis Ababa. From commencing a training contract at Beekenkamp in November 1995, the company helped Marc develop his career by offering him the opportunity, eight years later, to form a 50:50 joint venture in Ethiopia: Maranque Plants, a contraction of Marc and Anke, Marc’s wife.

The Ambassador and Embassy staff toured Beekenkamp Group’s premises in Maasdijk, where they were given a peak behind the scenes at the company’s newly built breeding technology centre. This new research centre boosts innovation and marks the transition from classical to technology-driven breeding, such as marker-assisted plant breeding.

The delegation then met with staff at Deliflor Chrysanten, who explained all the ins and outs of plant breeding and propagation.

The visit closed with a frank and open discussion of Ethiopia’s ban on using foreign currency in local transitions and the recently declared state of emergency in Amhara.

On 11 August 2023, the National Bank of Ethiopia announced monetary policy measures to reduce inflation. A new directive stipulates that exporters retain 40 per cent of their foreign exchange proceeds for their account.

Beekenkamp staff praised Ethiopia as a horticultural powerhouse, saying, “the country offers thirteen months of sunshine. Beekenkamp enjoys doing business in Ethiopia, which is blessed with a dedicated workforce, benign climate, and Ethiopian aircargo facilities and service plus a government that is willing to assist our company to grow.”