Growing More with Less: Rethinking Water in Agriculture
Interview with Jeroen Boerma, General Manager of Netafim Netherlands B.V.
As agriculture faces growing pressure from climate change, rising demand and limited natural resources, efficient water management is becoming a decisive factor for the future of food production. In this environment, Netafim Netherlands B.V. has built a strong position with solutions that combine irrigation expertise, technological development and practical relevance for growers. General Manager Jeroen Boerma talks about the company’s structure, its product portfolio, sustainability mindset and the role innovation plays in tackling current agricultural challenges.
Netafim has its origins in Israel and has grown into an international organization whose figures are consolidated within Orbia, a Mexican industrial group that holds 80% of the company, while the remaining 20% are still owned by its founding kibbutz. For the Dutch market, an important milestone came in 2012, when Netafim acquired Revaho and entered the Netherlands. Today, Netafim Netherlands operates from two locations: its sales organization is based in Maasdijk, in the heart of the Westland greenhouse region, while a factory in Rucphen manufactures products for the (inter)national market. The company employs just under 100 people across both sites. Jeroen Boerma himself joined the company in August 2025 and combines his role as General Manager of Netafim Netherlands with responsibility as CFO for Western Europe. The Dutch business is part of a broader Western European structure covering markets including Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the United Kingdom, the Benelux, Scandinavia and Germany, while the local unit itself focuses on Dutch customers in a purely B2B model via dealers and distributors. “We are purely operating in a business-to-business model, supplying dealers and partners who then serve the end customers,” explains Jeroen Boerma.
Technology, sustainability and close customer ties
Netafim Netherlands focuses on three main segments: greenhouse horticulture, open-field agriculture such as arable farming and fruit cultivation, and water infrastructure projects. In greenhouse horticulture, the company provides drippers that deliver precise amounts of water to each plant, along with filtration systems in circular processes where water is treated and reused. In open-field agriculture, the portfolio includes flexible distribution systems and low flow rate driplines. In infrastructure, Netafim works together with its sister company Wavin on larger PE solutions. For Jeroen Boerma, the strategic relevance of these solutions is clear: global population growth and increasing water scarcity are making smarter irrigation and fertigation essential. Instead of relying on inefficient irrigation methods such as reels and spray cannons, the company offers underground systems that deliver water directly to the roots, significantly improving resource efficiency. Sustainability is not treated as an add-on, but as a core principle, reflected in the guiding idea of “Grow more with less”. A particularly strong example is the Slurry (SDI-E) project, developed over the past one and a half years. Using Subsurface Drip Irrigation, liquid manure is filtered and delivered below the surface, reducing nitrogen emissions while improving nutrient uptake and plant growth. “Fundamentally, Netafim is a company that is focused on sustainability; it is at the core of what we do,” says Jeroen Boerma. This combination of high-quality products, long-standing expertise and close proximity to customers defines Netafim’s unique positioning in the market.
Digital solutions and European growth potential
The company’s positioning is further strengthened by its combination of technological expertise, digital capabilities and direct customer proximity. In the Netherlands, Netafim benefits from long-standing market knowledge, especially in greenhouse horticulture, and from short lines to growers and users. This closeness is actively reinforced through the Netafim Academy, which functions not only as a training platform but as a strategic interface for knowledge transfer, customer engagement and continuous improvement. Customers are invited regularly to gain deeper insights into products such as drippers, sprinklers or filtration systems, while their feedback is systematically used to further develop solutions and support ongoing research and development. Digitalization plays an increasingly central role in this process. With the GrowSphere™ operating system, Netafim integrates sensor-based data collection software solutions and automation into its systems, enabling farmers to monitor parameters such as humidity and water usage, optimize irrigation processes and manage operations via digital platforms or apps. The company’s ambition is therefore not just to supply individual components, but to deliver fully integrated solutions that combine hardware, software and advisory support from a single source. Looking ahead, Netafim Netherlands aims to further simplify processes, strengthen its data-driven approach and expand the application of Dutch expertise across Western Europe. “We want to continue with ‘Grow more with less,’ as this mindset is fundamental to our organization,” says Jeroen Boerma.