TRADE AND MARKETING Agrico wants to be the largest in the world really add much, except for speed. We’re now able to achieve results very quickly via testing with marker genes, which means we’re now able to select first-year clones. In the old days, you had to wait six years before you could start testing in practice. Potato breeding is also a matter of mass production. One in a million crossings may become a variety. We’re now able to test a greater number in the first years of the breeding process, which means that crossing efficiency can improve. As a result, we’re ultimately able to test more varieties with the desired resistance for their agronomic characteris‘The door is closed for GMO.’ tics. It’s because of that that we’ve invested heavily in laboratory facilities and staff. This has resulted in the Phytophthoraresistant Carolus, which has the same genes as the GMO Fortuna variety. The only difference is that it takes a bit longer to produce a result, but the origin is now a natural one. The introduction of new varieties is currently equal to the response to market demand, because it takes fifteen years before you’ve developed a variety. It’s important that the breeding company and the market work together. Thanks to our varieties committee, we have a unique and apparently successful way of assessing and introducing varieties. A few years ago, Agrico mainly wanted to expand in other countries. What’s happened to that idea? ‘In 2006, everyone told you that potato cyst nematode was going to be an enormous threat for the cultivation of potatoes. Our field staff kept telling us that we wouldn’t be able to place our potatoes within this country. We had to look for sufficient acreage abroad and grow our export potatoes in countries like Scotland and France. But what happened? We’re now expanding in the Netherlands instead of decreasing. So, it’s not too bad as far as potato cyst nematode is concerned. We’ve now decided to stop growing seed potatoes for export in Scotland and France, and get that part back to Holland. We’re now only growing potatoes for the local markets in these countries. When you take the “operational excellence” factor into account, you’re much better off in the Netherlands. We can load 10,000 tons of seed just along one road in the Northeast Polder. You can’t do that in France, where farms are much more spread out. In addition, the Dutch ports of Beverwijk, Harlingen and Rotterdam are much more efficient than the French ports. And yet, we want to increase our seed potato acreage in France by another 10 percent. We’re mainly doing this to supply the increasing local French market. That’s possible with varieties like the Agata. This year, a few French consumption potato growers were able to market a small acreage of Agatas for 500 euros per ton at the end of the season. With a yield of 60 tons net, that totalled 30,000 euros per hectare. That’s three times more than what our growers earn with one hectare of seed. That gives our buyers confidence.’ Are you also going to focus on licence growing in countries that won’t have Dutch seed? ‘Licence growing isn’t yet comparable to the marketing of seed in the Netherlands. It will increase though. The momentum lies now in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and America. The demand for yellow-fleshed varieties is still increasing every year. This market is currently around 3 percent in America. All major packaging companies want to start with the yellow-fleshed varieties. With a 400 million consumer market, that’s quite interesting. Because of that, we want to double our income from licence growing in the coming years. At present, 20 percent of our licence income already comes from countries we can’t export to ourselves.’ Is Agrico going to specialise only in seed potatoes? ‘Certainly not! After saying goodbye to the industrial sector in 2010, we’re now focusing on seed as well as table potatoes. We want to have increased by 50 percent by 2017. This type of cultivation is more like that of seed potatoes. It also has more added value. And we also grow 650 hectares of organic table potatoes and 200 hectares of organic seed potatoes. The acreage for the table potato market is decreasing in the Netherlands, which is why we want to focus more on export. They often fetch lower prices than the table potatoes. However, when you can harvest 70 tons per hectare with specific export varieties, your income with a lower kilogram price is just as good. To supply the market in the best possible way, we’ve set up a reliable network of packaging companies in the Netherlands as well as in the rest of Europe. And we also have Leo de Kock, our own packaging business, of course. We have a number of new varieties available for this market. An example is the Gourmandine, a variety that’s been winning awards for its excellent taste for three years running. We’re now also importing more table potatoes via various projects. We’ve imported many potatoes from Malta and Cyprus this year, for example, and in exchange we export the seed again. Varieties that are doing really well there are our Santé and the new, slightly floury variety, the Destiny. Because of our network ‘which is based on forty years of partnership’ we’re able to flesh out on this project. And don’t forget the tasty Milva variety that yields lots of tons for an attractive price. It’s a real jewel in the table potato market. Our subsidiary Leo de Kock is renowned for its innovation. We introduced the kilo packaging a few years ago and were subsequently followed by all the other packagers. The Albert Heijn supermarket chain is quite keen to work with us, it wants potatoes to be a distinctive feature in the fruit and vegetable sector of its shops. Since recently, Albert Heijn also has potatoes on its shelves with its own, special AH-Excellence logo. In this more exclusive packaging, it’s offering mostly Agrico varieties with the Ditta in the Pomme Primeur, the Gourmandine in the Pomme Gourmande and the Cerisa in the Pomme Rouge categories. ● Jaap Delleman Potato World 2013 • number 3 7 Pagina 6
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