TRADE AND MARKETING Sustainability in 2016 is all about balance Joris van der Lee, Agroplant: ‘A stable income can be described as a sustainable income’ ‘I see where you’re going. Higher yields, less nitrogen and fewer chemicals per hectare etc. There’s no simple answer to that, really’, remarks Joris van der Lee , Director of Agroplant in Medemblik, initially. ‘Sustainability is mainly an issue for the countries that ask for it. Many of our distant customers don’t think about that a lot. Indirectly, they’re working on more sustainable crops, of course, because they ask us for varieties that yield high, need little water or nitrogen and, if possible, also have a good underwater weight. Every country has its own wish list as far as sustainability is concerned. If I look at France and the other countries in Southern Europe, we’re asked for an easily-washable table potato variety with those characteristics. At this moment, we’ve got a very good candidate in the Actrice, which needs less nitrogen than the average type in this segment of high-yielding table varieties. It’s also strong against virus diseases, which is a characteristic that particularly appeals to seed potato growers. The variety also matures early and you can always count on a good tuber yield. I recently spoke again with a few growers in Southern Europe and they were full of praise for the stable yields that the variety has produced over the years. We got a good price for them year after year, was their reaction. A stable income can be described as a sustainable income. You see, Actrice answers your question in every respect’, Van der Lee laughs. Hans Rommens, Interseed Holland: ‘Little waste means less energy and environmental costs for processing’ Manager Hans Rommens of Interseed Holland in Dronten has to think a few minutes about our question. Sustainable is not really a concept that’s at the top of every breeder’s list, he laughs. ‘A variety that could fit the concept for us is the Miss Malina’, he begins after having thought the matter over. ‘It’s a yellow-fleshed French–fry potato, which is grown both conventionally and organically. The reason that organic growers also embrace the variety is mostly due to its Phytophthora resistance and wide resistance against all pathotypes of Globodera Rostochiensis, A, B and C. This is why the crop is rather popular on clay soils such as in the Flevo polders, but the variety has also been grown on lighter soils lately. This is mainly due to its B and C resistance, which many of the other suitable varieties for sandy soils still lack. ‘Many growers alternate the variety in their cropping plan with other, possibly nonresistant varieties, especially to keep the soil nematode free, or at least to keep the population as low as possible. Another sustainable aspect of the variety is its stable yield and quality. It always produces beautiful, uniform tubers as a result of good tuber initiation and that avoids high cutting losses at the factory. Little waste means limited energy and environmental costs for processing’, is the Manager’s opinion. ‘The baking quality is also very stable, which is an important aspect for the processing industry. This means that growers can deliver a constant quality and, with that, a long-term relationship between the supplier and the buyer.’ 18 Potato World 2016 • number 1 Pagina 17
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