News on The Potato Supply Chain from the Netherlands

According to this year’s agricultural census, the Netherlands has almost 529 thousand hectares of land devoted to arable farming. This is 1.8 thousand ha (0.3 percent) more than in the previous year.

New discovery will lead to faster and more focused potato breeding

Wageningen University & Research experts in plant pathology, cell biology and physics have found an answer to the question of how members of the Phytophthora genus mechanically gain entry through the protective layer on the leaves of crops.

Last week, after 15 years, Nele Cattoor left the Belgian fruit and vegetable sector. She's taking on a new challenge. Nele was the Belgian Vegetable Processing Sector Union, Vegebe's general secretary.

Wageningen University & Research has conducted research into the resilience of the agricultural sector. How do farmers keep in step with their environment? Examples include the changing weather conditions, climate change and government policy.

It's a good season for import potatoes in the Netherlands. More people are cooking at home. That's undoubtedly contributing to this, as are the 'old' potatoes deteriorating quality.

As plantings for the 2021 potato crop in North-western Europe is wrapping up, it seems very probable that total potato area within the NEPG zone (EU-04) will be reduced by 3 to 5 percent.

The supply of certificates from HZPC has reduced slightly but is still significant. This was demonstrated today during the potato breeder HZPC Holding B.V.'s half-yearly trading day.

Last month HZPC Holding B.V. announced to stop with the business activities of Solentum B.V. Pessl Instruments GmbH will take over some of the products of Solentum B.V. as of May 1, 2021.

There seems to be little hope for an imminent agreement between the EU and the UK on mutual trade in seed potatoes. If no agreement is reached, there is a good chance that the export of seed potatoes from EU countries to the UK will be resolutely closed on 1 July.

On the third Thursday of April, the first potatoes for the PotatoEurope harvesting demonstrations were planted under ideal weather conditions. By pressing the start button, acting mayor of Noordoostpolder Jan Westmaas sent autonomous implement carrier Robotti on its way to plant the first potato.

Averis Seeds B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Avebe, will be working together with the hybrid potato breeding company Solynta on the hybrid breeding of starch potato varieties.

The PotatoEurope organization has started preparing the potato trial fields at the event location near the central Dutch city of Lelystad.

Last November Agrico built an online news platform to support its buyers and growers with important knowledge and information. Agrico now also shares the latest insights and successes of its Next Generation potato varieties on this online platform

The sale of potatoes is not entirely disappointing at the moment, observes Felix Molenaar of potato and vegetable wholesaler Molenaar from Haarlem.

VerDi Import in the Netherlands has received their first Nicola potatoes. These arrived from Morocco at the beginning of the month.

With the event theme 'What's Now, What's New and What's the Future', PotatoEurope 2021 promises to provide insight into current developments in the potato industry as well as a look at the future of the sector.

An international team of researchers has struck an important blow in the ongoing evolutionary arms race with the notorious potato disease late blight (Phytophthora infestans).