The dry spell hasn't yet taken hold over the open ground lettuce crops at Lucassen Agri Cultuur in Sevenum. The predicted heat is a challenge, says John Lucassen, responsible for sales. "The lettuce is growing well at the moment, the dry weather is under control so far. It is a lot more work, as we continually have to irrigate. If the temperatures rise above 30 degrees soon, we will have to deal with sprouting in the lettuce."

Lucassen Agri grows 13 types of lettuce crops on around 110 hectares. Most is planted for contract cultivation and goes to cutters. Overproduction is for the fresh market. At the moment the demand and the price from the fresh market is good.

Lucassen Agri sees growth in all lettuce varieties, such as headed lettuce and Salanova varieties like coloured lettuce. Headed lettuce mainly goes abroad. France is a large sales market, and volumes also go to Italy, Greece and Germany. Salanova, the One cut ready lettuce, mostly goes to cutters domestically and abroad. "Convenience is the strongest growth market along with the colours, throughout Europe," adds John.

Lucassen Agri controls the chain from A to Z. The family company has over 40 years experience in the cultivation of various types of lettuce in the open ground and grows a wide assortment, controlled by customer demand. The cultivation is as sustainable as possible and quality, continuity and service are important points towards customers. Lucassen Agri grows according to the McDonald's guidelines, is GlobalGap certified and also working on bringing the cultivation under PlanetProof.

Staff isn't a problem for Lucassen Agri. "At the moment we have plenty of workers, despite the first of them returning to their homelands for holidays. We work with automatic harvesting machines which mean staff don't have to bend down, which is nice with weather like this. The lettuce comes in at a working height and only has to be cleaned and packaged," says John. There is an exception. The increasingly popular Romana lettuce has to be harvested manually, we do this with a harvest belt and first thing in the morning when it's still nice and cool outside," concludes John.