about agriprogress

Agriprogress organises sustainable business development in agri- and foodchains. Our drive is the development of sustainable progress in the agri- and foodsector by management, consultancy and training. Founder of Agriprogress is Pieter Helfferich. To be able to go into detail in his projects Agriprogress works together with and contracts Dutch and foreign senior specialists (in the group are specialist top farmers for you available). The network structure keeps Agriprogress flexible and be able to follow the development in the markets. Agriprogress works closely together with Dutch tech suppliers. Go to www.hollanddairyhouse.com for the dairy tech.

Pieter Helfferich, expert agribusiness development

Pieter Helfferich (1962) has more than 30 years experience with (new) business development in the agri- and foodbusiness, he is the founder of Agriprogress.  His background is Wageningen University: Agricultural Engineering and business administration and was grown up in a dairy farm. Pieter has  a long experience with the development and improvement of agribusiness companies as improvement consultant and projectmanager. He worked 5 years as new business developer for ERP in feed and food in the German market (Adifo). From 2002-2007 he was the director of the farmers- and growersfuture of Holland, the NAJK (young farmers association). Renovated dairy farms and -factories in West Ukraine and developed a soybean oil factory in Ukraine. In 2007 was the start of the activities in Romania with cofounding a landfund, from 2011-2016 director of 800 ha arable farm, after that manager of clusters Holland Dairy House, Urban Landscapes Romania and Holland House of Horticulture. Pieter supported more than 50 investors/company to enter in the Romanian market. Pieter is also active in the Netherlands in the restructuring of the agrifood business (including advice to governmental institutions). See also his linkedin profile.

Specialisms:

  • Project development and management in the agribusiness
  • Result improvement in agri- and food companies (including farms)
  • Development of sustainable new business concepts
  • Development of new international activities (import/export)
  • Feasiblity studies and business planning (including subsidies and financing)
  • Coaching of startups, investors, companies and clusters

Johan Schoenmakers, expert horticulture

 

Johan was born in 1957 geboren in an agricultural family. At a young age he started with horticulture. As teacher horticulture he started in Curacao and later in the south of Holland at vocational colleges. In this way he developed a wide network with growers in the Netherlands, growing in open fields as well in greenhouses. The most important crops he worked with are tomato, pepper, cucumber, leeks and blue berry. The improvement and optimalisation of the growing conditions of a healthy and productive crop stays a challenge and is his passion.  He continues to learn and deepens his knowledge about modern technologies.  Teaching about soil, fertilisation, substrate, climate and plant physiology is a nice way to transfer knowhow.  Traveling to other countries and studying local challenges and development of strategies are part of his ambition to share his knowledge and insights.

Specialisms:

  • Development of trainings and training/advice for groups and individuals
  • Plant physiology and the growing conditions of the crop
  • Greenhouse climate and the development of optimal growing conditions
  • Fertilisation of crop and soil in open field and covered circumstances (glass or plastic)

Dutch is mother tongue, English and Spanish fluent

 

Klaas Talsma, dairy farm management specialist (big scale and family farms)

Klaas (1961) is grown up at a family dairy farm, one of the top breeders in Friesland in that time, in Deersum Friesland. After his study he started his own dairy farm in Texas from scratch in 1995. He developed this farm to one of the leading farms in Texas with 9000 cows. In the last years he downsized the farm to 3.500 milking cows and is now building a new cross ventilated dairy farm for Jersey cows with automated feeding. Developed various cooperatives in Texas for buying and selling and wants to share his intensive experience with another farmers. He is available for consultancy (‘online and offline’-on the farm). Was active in various countries around the world. More than 50 years of experience in dairy farming.

Specialisms:

  • Dairy farm management (big scale farming but also family farms)
  • Barn design and technology
  • Negotiation and trade
  • Breeding
  • Strategy development and improvement of dairy farms
  • Business planning and cost price reduction
  • Development of organisations

Tom Lugtenberg, expert dairy farm development

Tom (1976) was born on a dairy farm in the East of Holland. He finished his bachelor Zootechnics at Van Hall Larenstein in 1997. After this he became advisor/accountmanager for dairy farms at the Rabobank in Twello. Beside this he became also active at the family dairy farm in partnership with his parents. Since 2010 he is fully in charge. Together with his wife he developed the farm from 60 to 160 mk, including full renovation of the farm. His strategy is to have a solid land base in the region to create circular systems (forage, manure) and to develop together with nature excellent products. Tom has a lot of experience with agricultural organisations: calf breeding organisation, farmers organisation LTO and with the cooperative Friesland Campina.

Specialisms:

  • dairy farm management
  • strategy development and improvement of dairy farms
  • business planning and cost price reduction
  • farmers organisations

Minne Lettinga, expert arable farming, storage, sorting, packaging and organisation

As a seed potato farmer (1978/2010) in Dongjum , Friesland, he has been chairman of bondholders of Holland Malt (malting), Commissioner of FOBEK (breeding station), and president of the grain pool of Agrifirm.  He also was a member of the Head Commodity Board of Agricultura and the Advisory Board of the NAK, and co-founder of the Dutch Arable Farming Union (NAV). Minne has a long experience with supporting and improving arable farms worldwide (Romania, Northern Africa, Eastern Europe)

Specialisms:

  • arable farm management
  • mechanisation and technical advice
  • strategy development and improvement of arable farms
  • business planning and cost price reduction
  • farmers organisations

The approach

Agriprogress supplies thinkers and doers, we can support you in the thinking about and also in the development of your investment idea, however we can assist also in the realisation of it. is a tradename of Helfferich Consult. The three element side logo of Agriprogress symbolizes the philosophy: doing, network and strategy.

news

Development of organic education in Romania

Agriprogress cooperated this year as Dutch partner on the development of organic education in Romania and France An example of sustainable agriprogress It was a nice project with teachers and students from Romania and France Agriprogress participated in business trips in...

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Office in Bucharest

Agriprogress has his own company in Romania We share an office with a group of lawyers, who support Agriprogress also in legal issues in Romania Long term relationships is the key for succes in Romania Let us know when you would like to meet there However we are not a lot of...

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Tailor made activities for Dutch investors

Our support activities for our Dutch investors vary from looking for and advising over new opportunities till soil analysis till support in the development of irrigation etc etc It always starts with the question what do you want and what is possible Irrigation pump from...

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