Potato News from the Netherlands

The Potato Company (TPC) will host its Potato Show from 4–6 November 2026 in Emmeloord, the Netherlands, showcasing new varieties and presenting the 2026 TPC Awards to breeders of Havana and Riva.

FrietHoes celebrates a major milestone as the first fries roll off the production line at its new factory in Nieuw-Vennep, the Netherlands, following months of construction, installation and preparation.

Royal HZPC Group researches the nutrient needs of potato varieties to develop tailored fertilization recommendations. This aims to improve yield and quality while reducing fertilizer use and environmental impact through data-driven insights.

Sormac has appointed Tys van Elk as its new Managing Director, effective December 31, 2026, succeeding Bert Haffmans after more than 23 years of leadership. Haffmans will remain involved as an advisor and shareholder.

Royal HZPC Group has patented a potato innovation with increased levels of natural antioxidants, particularly kaempferol, while retaining traditional flesh colour. The development could benefit both fresh and processed potato markets.

Agrico's Michel de Bruin says strong potato sectors need more than quality seed, highlighting the importance of farmer knowledge, functioning markets, enabling regulations and flexible approaches tailored to local conditions.

The Dutch Potato Organisation celebrated Potato Tuesday on October 6 at Utrecht Central Station during the Week of Our Food. Visitors can enjoy free recipe booklets and discover the people behind the Dutch potato industry.

Ellips’ Elisam CombiGrader grades potatoes and onions on one compact line, switching between crops within seconds. True-AI and light transmittance technology detect internal and external defects at up to 15 t/h, with a 15-meter footprint.

Croptimal has launched the tractor-mounted Croptiscan 3000, using camera and recognition technology to detect PVY and leaf roll early in seed potato crops, providing smaller growers with an alternative to fully self-driving machines.

The new QualityGrader builds on years of experience with hundreds of machines worldwide. With improved flexibility, capacity, serviceability and AI sorting, it delivers smarter optical quality control for today’s and tomorrow’s needs.

Royal HZPC Group highlights how potato breeding can reduce disease pressure and crop protection needs, while Integrated Crop Management and climate adaptation help build more resilient and sustainable production systems.

Aardappeldemodag 2026 brought over 4,500 visitors to Westmaas amid a challenging year for the Dutch potato sector. The event focused on market pressures, extreme growing conditions, knowledge sharing, machinery and innovation.

Ellips introduces the CleanFlow Pre-Sorter, using True-AI to remove stones, clods and defects before potato and onion storage or grading, handling up to 120 t/h while reducing equipment wear, storage losses and manual labour.

Marieke Hoste, VAVI's new director, will make her first Potato Demo Day visit, highlighting collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing. She says the Dutch potato sector can tackle policy, sustainability and market challenges together.

European seed potato multiplication area fell 1.6% to 105,155 hectares in 2026, according to ESPG data. Germany recorded slight growth, while the other major producing countries and several leading varieties saw declines.

Flikweert Vision says its AI-powered QualityGrader helps potato and onion processors cut labour costs boost processing capacity by 10–20% reduce unnecessary rejects and improve batch insights with VisionCore for faster ROI.

Jensma Agro installed two Optica Q optical sorters to grade 30 t/h of seed potatoes with less labour. The system cuts manual inspection, improves efficiency, increases capacity and supports future growth, with minor software improvements planned.

Janine Luten, Director of the Dutch Potato Organisation (NAO), says innovation, knowledge sharing and collaboration are essential to keeping the Netherlands a global leader in potatoes while tackling labour, sustainability and regulatory challenges.