CHANDIGARH: As key food-growing states of Punjab and Haryana face the onslaught of climate change, erratic rainfall, dwindling water availability, excessive use of chemicals and lack of crop diversification, they can learn from the tiny European nation, the Netherlands, that has successfully reclaimed land from sea, nourished its soil and tackled the flood threat to become the second biggest producer of food in the world. About 55% of the country’s land is below sea level, which poses a grave threat of flooding besides making the soil alkaline.
With just about 5,00,000 hectares of arable land, the Netherlands, which marks 75 years of its bilateral relations with India in 2022, has emerged as the leading exporter of fruits, vegetables, flowers and dairy produce with several innovations like glasshouse horticulture, reclaiming land and maintaining soil health by preventing mixing of salty sea water with fresh water through building dikes and dunes. The country has around 9,000 hectares under greenhouse cultivation where vegetables, fruits and flowers are grown for both local and international markets.
