Queen Máxima of the Netherlands climbed aboard a tractor and joined farmworkers harvesting fibre hemp in the Achterhoek, a rural area of Gelderland province near the German border, according to footage released by the Dutch agricultural outlet Nieuwe Oogst.
The 55-year-old queen visited the region on Thursday, September 3, as part of a series of visits she has been making focused on sustainable development and the circular economy. During the stop she was briefed on the cultivation and harvesting of fibre hemp specifically, following the process step by step alongside workers in the field.
Taking the wheel
After watching the harvest, the queen decided to take part herself, driving the tractor for part of the route. Bert Beziging, a farmworker who accompanied her in the vehicle, told the camera that she had driven the tractor for a while and had told him she often drives tractors, adding that he could tell this was true.
Fibre hemp is grown for its stalks, which are processed into textile and industrial fibre, and is a distinct crop from cannabis grown for recreational or medicinal use. Queen Máxima, who is married to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, has built a public profile around sustainability and financial inclusion issues during her visits around the country.
Sustainable housing in Doetinchem
Following the stop in the Achterhoek, the queen travelled on to Doetinchem, according to the outlet Histoires Royales. There she visited a residential area still under construction, where homes intended for both rental and sale have been built using sustainable materials.
Queen Máxima reportedly spoke with residents of the development and listened to their impressions of the houses and the surrounding neighbourhood. The visit concluded at a primary school in the area that had been designed according to the same sustainability principles as the housing.
