Light vital to agriculture greenhouse growers

If there is one sector in which light plays an extremely important part, it is the agriculture and greenhouse sector. Artificial light is essential for growers: there is no other option for year-round production. Gavita has supplied light fixtures for the agricultural sector since 1994, and is now one of the leading suppliers of assimilation lighting.

Bart Heemskerk is the managing director of Gavita Nederland in Aalsmeer. The company supplies throughout the world, but its domestic market is its primary sales market. “Gavita started in Scandinavia, where the products have enjoyed overwhelming success for more than twenty-five years.” The light fixtures also rapidly gained popularity in the Netherlands. According to Heemskerk, this is not only because of their quality, but especially because Gavita listens to its clients and welcomes suggestions. “We focus on the client: our products are attuned to their desires,” says Heemskerk.

In addition to Aalsmeer, Gavita has branches in Norway and Canada. These are all independent companies, but they work closely together in the areas of product development and market approach. The company does not limit self to the production of fixtures: it also offers assimilation lighting consultancy.

Quality improvement

Together with Nedap, Gavita devotes continuous attention to improving its products. “Nedap is our electronics supplier for the GAN electronic ballast. We work together on improving quality, extending product life cycles, and achieving higher yields. Because in the end, even in the agriculture and greenhouse growing sector, what matters are the finances. If our products can contribute to reducing costs, that is a highly-competitive advantage,” says Heemskerk.

In recent years, Gavita launched electronic Ballasts with power ranging from 600 and 750 up to even 1000 watts. Thanks to the cooperation with Nedap, the products satisfy all current quality requirements. The lighting fixtures also have a longer life cycle and a lower energy consumption. “Another significant advantage is that these Ballasts interrupt less sunlight, therewith increasing the yield,” Heemskerk explains.

Light yield

Each year, Gavita Nederland supplies more than one hundred-thousand fixtures. These are used, for example, to grow roses, cucumbers and tomatoes. Heemskerk: “These fixtures easily increase the light yield by eight to ten percent. That significantly reduces the growers’ costs.”