CULTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY French edition with European style A Increasing interest in French seed potato growing s the French potato market and also the cultivation of seed potatoes are still growing, the country is increasingly attracting businesses from across the border. This is mostly prompted by the French exporters of table potatoes, for they are specifically looking for suitable varieties for their buyers in far-a-way regions such as Southern and Eastern Europe. The French growers are highly competent in the cultivation of table potatoes and are able to deliver a splendid product. Dutch and also Scottish and German breeding stations are, in turn, able to provide them with excellent varieties. The seed comes from growers in the Netherlands and is sold to French consumption growers who subsequently transport their crops to the consumer in Eastern and Southern Europe. But high-quality seed is increasingly sent to France for second growth by French seed potato growers, as an increasing group of consumption growers prefers to buy their seed from French growers. For example, a company like Meijer-Potato already has 1,000 hectares for seed of their own varieties in France. The importance of seed potato growing in guest country France has only started to increase in recent years. In 2011, the EU share was 16 percent and France was in third place after the Netherlands and Germany. The total production of seed potatoes was over 450,000 tons in that year. As in other countries, the number of growers drops every year. At the moment, France has some nine hundred growers. Seed potato export has fluctuated around 140,000 tons a year for some time now. Approximately half goes to other EU countries and the other half to Northern Africa and the Middle East. France also imports seed; in 2011 this was 31,500 tons of which the largest part, approximately 25,000 tons, originated from the Netherlands. Dutch activities are much greater, however, because companies have their own branches in that country, and they sell their varieties from there and have them multiplied by French growers. That this activity is still expanding could also be seen in France Square at PotatoEurope, which showed a great many new Dutch varieties. Dido and Picobello have new irons in the fire The Dutch potato merchant Agroplant has worked for some years on expanding their share in the variety market in France and has been successful with the Actrice. It has given him a luxury problem: ‘We have a shortage of seed potatoes’, director Joris van der Lee says laughing. This is a variety that also competes with the Agata. In the meantime, the potato merchant has also started to operate in other sectors and he again has two new irons in the fire, the Dido and the Picobello. The Dido is a high yielding medium-late variety. It is highly suitable for the cultivation of consumption potatoes in Southern and Eastern Europe, says Van der Lee. A somewhat more distinguished calibre is the Picobello; its tubers have a clear colour and very smooth skin. It is also a very good variety for the seed potato and consumption grower, praises Van der Lee. It has many uniformly-shaped tubers. Meanwhile, the variety has been discovered by French packaging companies among which Pommes Alliance. They have had an eye on the variety for some time and market them now in 2.5 kilogram bags. They are mainly sold in Italy and Eastern European countries. 24 Potato World 2012 • number 4 Pagina 23
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