News on The Potato Supply Chain from the Netherlands

During a special award ceremony on Wednesday, September 1st, a professional jury awarded the PotatoEurope Gold Innovation Award to the Microtubers of E Green Global (EGG).

Royal Avebe's potato campaign in the Netherlands has started. The first starch potatoes were delivered to the production location in Gasselternijveen.

Farm management specialist CropX has acquired Dacom Farm Intelligence. Dacom is one of the pioneers of the global AgTech sector, located in Groningen, Netherlands.

Hybrid Potato Breeding Company Solynta, based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, closed its Series C funding round raising EUR 21 million (USD 22.8 million) from a consortium of investors. The funding will be used to accelerate Solynta’s ambition to unlock the full potential of potatoes

Due to the current developments in regard to the coronavirus pandemic in the Netherlands and the associated lack of official approval from Dutch authorities to hold the event, PotatoEurope 2021 has been cancelled.

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.