TRADE AND MARKETING Potato growing in Cartagena stands out in the market Hail can hit the crops heavily. can market, the better the price. But not all potatoes are suitable for export and that’s why we also specialise in local markets.’ Beltran has developed his own packaging material for these local markets. New this year are boxes, which proudly display the variety names. To give his customers extra opportunities to distinguish among varieties, Beltran has developed a wide range of brand concepts. An example of a variety that is suitable for both export and the local market is the Bellini. Inácio Ramalho grows this variety in the surrounding area of Al Algar. On his farm, he grows 130 hectares of potatoes of the Bellini, Triplo and Safari varieties. Besides potatoes, he also grows melons, which are just as important to him. He plants them directly after the potato harvest. And before he starts planting the potatoes, he has already sown lettuces. Subsequently, like most growers, he grows three crops annually on the same plot. For fertilisation, he uses poultry or cattle manure. Before he starts cultivation, he first makes ridges at a metre’s distance. This distance fits in with the standardisation of his other crops. You can use the same tractor without having to change wheels all the time. After allowing the ridges to settle, the potatoes are planted and as soon as the tubers start developing, the ridges are worked up. This makes weed control manageable. To improve the division of the plants in the ridge, he plants them left and right in the ridge and has the drip irrigation hose in the middle. The South Spanish supermarkets mainly sell French potatoes from last year’s harvest. Beltran is also experimenting with planting in the middle of the ridge this year. He thinks that it is better to plant in the middle of the ridge, because you can then plant the seed a little closer. Left and right planting often results in more green tubers, because the tubers develop too much near the sides. Green and export don’t go well together. In Ramalho´s field the potatoes look fine. He is also very happy with the more than 50-ton yield per hectare. A large group of farm workers lift the Bellinis by hand and put them directly into cardboard boxes. These boxes are placed on pallets and taken to the local markets and the wholesale trade. Because Beltran has invested heavily in cooled transport, the potatoes remain of the highest quality right up to delivery. The enthusiastic grower points out that the skin of the Bellini firms quickly, so that export can be started early. Moreover, the variety grows big quickly and also tastes fantastic as home-fried potato chips. The spontaneous invitation to come to lunch and taste his home-fried chips, was proof enough. Direct delivery Beltran wants to give brand status to the Stet Holland varieties, which he uses exclusively in Spain. In his opinion, prominent publicity opens up good market opportunities. Consumers are not used to that here. ‘Our customers can do well with this publicity in the market, which is still half of all the sales in Spain. We are also proud of our varieties. By mentioning the variety name, you’re showing that you believe in your own products’, Beltran is convinced. To supply the domestic and the international markets during the entire first-early season, Beltran also grows potatoes himself, because this ensures stability in the market. ‘If the price is high, the growers prefer not to sell. They want to wait until the price drops, and then sell as quickly as possible. This is not a proper basis for trade. You must always be able to sell. We can do that with our own 600 hectares of potatoes. Anyway, this is one reason why we like to collaborate with growers with large plots of land. You can often make practical arrangements with them. During the harvest, you can already decide together what to do with the yield. Suppose that a plant has only formed one or two stems, the tubers may then quickly grow too big, causing problems for export, if you want to have a reasonable return. By closely monitoring the plots, you can look for the most ideal solution, which makes the grower as well as the trade happy.’ On the market all year round Beltran’s international customers come from Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. At his farm in Daya Viega, Beltran has both a straightforward grading and packaging line and a 10,000-ton storehouse. During the season, he mainly grades potatoes of the Agria variety, which he supplies to Potato World 2014 • number 1 25 Pagina 24
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