TRADE AND MARKETING ‘Europatat must remain accessible’ No more country flags Thursday afternoon was reserved for the general meeting, which was opened by Europatat chairman Kees van Arendonk. This time, the customary country flags were missing. In the flag parade, a major part of the Eastern European EU Member States had been absent. This means that Europatat has the pleasantly challenging task of bringing in new members. Having more business members has the additional advantage that the membership fees can be lowered, was the opinion. The suggestion was put forward that the Europatat committee should make the Europatat Congress more easily accessible financially by opting for a location within reach of everyone’s purse. ‘Europatat should not become a club for the elite’, it was remarked. Europatat Congress The Congress itself was held on Friday. Professor Roberto Della Casa (Italy) came up with a dazzling number of sheets with facts and figures, which gave an idea of the trends in the foods market. He confirmed the general feeling that discounters are conquering the market with hard figures. Where there were only sixty-thousand discount shops worldwide in 2004, today, in 2011, this number has risen to nearly a hundred thousand. Despite the advance of the discounters, the potato sector need not yet despair. ‘Discounters want premium produce on their shelves. These products must fulfil the qualifications with which the discounters can distinguish themselves from other retailers. By introducing private labels, these supermarkets have become a brand in themselves. Private label segmentation has therefore become a way for the potato sector to get the most out of the market. ‘The price of consumption potatoes on the Tesco shelves varies from 38 cents to 1.25 euro per kilo.’ Consumers want value for money when they buy potatoes’, and don’t forget sustainability either. The trend in Europe is local. A product must feel as if it has been produced “at home”. In a manner of speaking, the potato should preferably come from people’s own back yards. Voice of a million young farmers The trend towards local was a godsend for Joris Baecke, chairman of Ceja. This is the European organisation for the protection of young farmers in the EU. ‘We are the voice of a million young farmers’, the young crop grower from ZeeuwsVlaanderen told the Audience. ‘Only 6 percent of the farmers in the EU are younger than 35. This low percentage is very bad for the competitiveness of European agriculture and is caused by the low rate of return that crop growers achieve on their farms. ‘European policymakers must not forget that the longterm prospects for farming are good.’ According to Baecke, the European Commission acknowledges the importance of thriving European agriculture and, for that reason, Ceja is allowed to see the European Agriculture Commissioner every five to six weeks to discuss the future agricultural policy. ‘We must achieve more profit for all the links in the food chain. At this moment, it is the retailers and the processing industry that ‘THE FARMER MAKES THE DIFFERENCE’ Gerard Backx, director of HZPC, said at the Europatat Congress that the farmer makes the difference in the production of seed potatoes. ‘The quality of the product depends more on the skills of the grower that the quality of the land. Good growers who work together in a certain area, stimulate each other and pass on their knowledge to one another.’ have a strong position within the chain. To break through this situation, Baecke is thinking of more information on price developments for farmers. ‘They may use this to strengthen their position.’ Baecke believes that another possibility is to mention the origin of products, and that cooperatives can also play a role in strengthening the position of the young farmers. Look at wishes Jörg Renatus, director of the German seed potato merchant Europlant reacted to the call for government regulation of the markets: ‘We as seed potato merchants look at the wishes of the grower and the consumer when we develop new varieties. I don’t believe in more regulation and protection of the growers. Farmers are increasingly snowed under by all kinds of forms. Only big companies and big growers can deal with that. The market must regulate itself.’ Renatus is positive about communication vis–a-vis the consumer and diversification of products. ‘Consumers want products that follow the convenience trend.’ The Netherlands will host the Europatat meeting in 2012. From 24 to 26 May, the European traders will get to grips with all kinds of European potato issues. ● Jan Gottschall NAO secretary Speakers at the Europatat Congress, from left to right: ClAudio Gamberini, Jörg Renatus, Francisco Moya, Joris Baecke and, standing, Roberto Della Casa. Potato World 2011 • number 3 17 Pagina 16
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