Sjaak van Schie B.V. wins Portugal’s prestigious National Farming Award

Accepting the award was Fidélio Alegria, general manager at Sjaak van Schie BV.

A Dutch horticultural business propagating and growing half-finished Hydrangeas in Portugal has taken home a prize from the National Farming Awards this April with managing director Sjaak van Schie and general manager Fidélio Alegria being recognised in the Digital Farming category of Portugal’s prestigious awards.

Launched in 2012 and powered by BPI, PwC, Cofina and Portugal’s Ministry of Agriculture, Portugal’s Prémio Nacional Agricultura 2022, recognises progressive Portuguese farmers who embrace technology, sustainable production practices, market innovation and demonstrate their position as an industry leader.

As the Portuguese Farming Awards celebrated its 11th anniversary on 12 April 2023, farmers from across the country gathered at the Quinta da Pimenteira in Lisbon vying for the categories young farmer of the year, agricultural entrepreneur of the year, digital farming and sustainable farming.

Walking away with the accolade in the Digital Farming category was Sjaak van Schie B.V. – in Portugal better known as Jacobus van Schie – who was selected amongt 1,300 nominees.

Commenting on the award and the impact the plant nursery has, director Roel van Schie said, “We are incredibly proud to have won one of Portugal’s National Farming Awards. This award is in recognition for the dedication and horticultural skills of our team. My horticultural friends at Sjaak van Schie BV are the reason that the company and we have been recognised in this way, which without them we wouldn t have achieved.”

MPS-certified Sjaak van Schie B.V. runs plant nurseries in the Netherlands and Portugal. In Maasdijk, Netherlands, the company produces around 3 million Hydrangeas in the open. The 30-ha site in Portugal serves as a cutting farm and production location for half-finished and finished plants.

Last year, more than 200 employees, business partners, and customers of Hydrangea grower Sjaak van Schie celebrated the opening of the company’s new cold store in Pegões, Portugal, with a quintessentially Portuguese lunch on Friday, 21 October 2022.

Learn more about Portugal’s ornamental horticulture at AIPH’s Spring Meeting 2023, from 12 to 15 March. View more details on this link.