Drop in new glass projects expected

摘要

Although 2008 will be remembered as a record year for Dutch glasshouse manufacturers it is suggested that new glass orders will fall dramatically during 2009. That was the message from the main suppliers at the recent HortiFair, writes Steven Vale, Somewhere in the region of 600-hectares of new glass was erected in the Netherlands this year. While the suppliers ought to be in a good mood, a tour of the major companies at the Amsterdam show confirms that the sector is not so confident that 2009 will be anywhere near as successful. Although rising land and energy prices are to blame, the biggest single threat comes from the current global financial situation. It is not only growers that are expected to hold fire on new investments but also the banks,which even in the Netherlands are now not too keen to invest in major new glasshouse projects.