HANDE L EN AFZ E T Big buyers such as KFC and McDonalds demand constant quality in the potatoes of their suppliers. jars. A little further on, we pass an enormous sluice, which shows us that Xisen is taking hygiene very seriously indeed. One may look, but entering his sanctum is strictly forbidden. The two following rooms, also enormous, hold 40 million jars with the growing meristemes. The meristeme plants are bred in one of Xisen’s many greenhouses and are ‘milked’ ‘here via a hydroponic system. The plants remain here in a sterile rock-wool substrate for three months, sixty plants per square metre. They are fed and watered via a special pipe system. The roots grow through the rock wool and hang into a container with water. Thanks to this system, Xisen’s workers can easily harvest thirty to forty tubers per plant. Xisen harvests in three quality categories: 1-3 grams, 3-5 grams and 5-8 grams. Network of 16 0 agent s The purpose of this tour is that Xisen wants to demonstrate that it’s not only talk and great expectations in China but that there is actually a lot already happening as well. Xisen is a major example. He tells us that his company has a market share of 60 percent where seed potato sales are concerned. As regards monitoring second growth, Xisen has to admit with some regret that this system is not yet what it should be. He is glad, however, that a lot is being done to get things right. As an example of how this should be done, Xisen now has two varieties on the market that fulfil all the inspection requirements. What is more, Xisen also has a firm grip on the market for the other varieties. For this purpose, the company has a network in China of at least 160 agents who sell Xisen seed to growers. This material is invoiced only when the sale of the potatoes to the consumption market has been effected. In this way, Xisen manages to keep tabs on both the seed potato market and the consumption market. His company can afFord to do this because the many small consumption growers in China can barely live on what they earn. By letting them keep the G2 seeds’ second growth, these growers are yielding 35 tons per hectare instead of the average 15 tons. G2 seed earns them approximately 13 eurocents a kilogram in that market, which is not what you would call a real money-maker. High-quality table potatoes are much more profitable. Their prices vary between 8 and 20 eurocents per kilogram. Under sterile conditions, the Xisen Potato Industry Group produces approximately 300 million mini tubers every year. Need for chips Xisen tells us that, in order to improve the cultivation of potatoes, he has employed 1,600 agronomists who will give specialist advice to the many small growers. This is necessary, in his opinion, because there is a great demand for potatoes. He expects that, within a few years, the table potato market will have to provide some 50 kg per head of the population. In addition, the demand for potato flakes is also increasing exponentially. Consequently, Xisen is now busy with the construction of a factory for the production of potato flakes. In doing this, he is following the example of the Dutch company Aviko, which already runs a factory in China. He plans to have this factory already operational in this year. In view of the many people working on this project, he will certainly succeed. In addition, there is the chips market, which is expanding enormously in China. Xisen has no plans for growing ware potatoes himself, but he does supply this market with seed potatoes. Potato World 2009 • number 3 21 Pagina 20

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