TRADE AND MARKETING Potato growing in Cartagena stands out in the market first-early area around Seville. Furthermore, Beltran wants to expand in the north of Spain, in the area around the town of Valladolid. The company Intersur has been active in the Valladolid region for some time now. Angel Muñoz Tomás and Cosme Catalán Ochaíta tell us in their office in La Palma that they grow 1,400 hectares of potatoes in the most important potato areas in Spain. Each area has its own characteristics and market, Muñoz says. ‘We start each season in Cartagena at the beginning of April, continue in Seville and end in the north where we can lift fresh potatoes until the end of October. Our top varieties are Monalisa, Challenger, Annabelle, Lucinda and Colomba. We sell the varieties locally in Spain and export them to Ireland, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands.’ In the Netherlands, Landjuweel in Uithuizermeeden is an important buyer. Intersur buys 8,000 tons of seed annually from HZPC. As of recently, the Intersur group also has its own business location in Northern France, which means they are now active in the European potato market all through the year. In total, the international potato group Intersur sells 150,000 tons of potatoes, according to Muñoz. Muñoz indicates that the firstearlies have done badly in the past four years. ‘It’s crucial this year that the growers earn money for their business. The potato acreage in Spain has been dropping constantly in the past fifteen years. Other products are taking the place of the potato. It’s a difficult crop, so it’s profitability is particularly important. We are in a free market with fluctuating prices so it’s very important to deliver quality’, the enthusiastic trader explains. His dream is to continue to grow potatoes and to provide the quantities and quality his customers require. To achieve this he wants to draw up programmes with which he can supply fresh potatoes from April until October. ‘This will work if you collaborate closely with the farmer’, is his firm belief. In order to continue to supply the market in the future, both companies are of Thumbs up for the optimistic mood on the Spanish first-early market. the opinion that it is important to continue to develop new varieties. On his trial field, Beltran tells us that he sees possibilities for the new Vitalia, Amarin and Sultana varieties. In combination with the increasing acreage of Bellini, Triplo and Safari, he has an excellent range to continue to develop in the Spanish and international markets now and in the future. ● Jaap Delleman Potato World 2014 • number 1 27 Pagina 26
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