produce - Eurofresh Distribution
produce - Eurofresh Distribution
produce - Eurofresh Distribution
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8<br />
PotatoeS<br />
Crisis pushes<br />
the potato industry<br />
EUROFRESH<br />
DISTRIBUTION<br />
Budget crunch and increased home consumption stimulate potato consumption.<br />
Potatoes are seen as more affordable<br />
and as a healthy source of carbohydrates.<br />
While the credit crunch<br />
is forcing a reduction in meals out and<br />
increasing the consumption of potatoes<br />
in the home, healthy food and<br />
pleasure at table remain the unequivocal<br />
consumer choice criteria. They also<br />
help the introduction of new varieties.<br />
With the current trend of shortages in<br />
farming inputs like irrigation, fuel and<br />
fertilizers, looking for higher performing<br />
and multiuse varieties remains on<br />
the breeders’ list of major selection<br />
criteria.<br />
Bellini, new Holland Star<br />
Bellini has become the biggest protected<br />
variety multiplied by Stet Holland,<br />
with about 10,000 tons of commercial<br />
seed. Demand is good in Spain<br />
and Bellini is pulling strongly in Sicilia<br />
and Puglia as well. It is also getting<br />
popular in North Africa and the Middle<br />
East, from Morocco to Egypt, Syria,<br />
Israel and Saudi Arabia. “We explain<br />
Bellini’s success as due to its being<br />
easy to growth and suitable for packing,<br />
local markets and early exports”<br />
declares Peter Tom, Stet Holland Director.<br />
It has also proved a good alternative<br />
for French fries.<br />
The total seed multiplied by Stet Holland<br />
will reach 40,000 tons, a 10%<br />
increase on 2007. 57% by volume is<br />
made up of protected varieties. Bellini,<br />
Timate, Triplo, Ajiba and Donald are<br />
the company’s main protected varieties<br />
and Spunta and Desiree its main<br />
free ones.<br />
Elodie, the success of Elorn<br />
Plants<br />
The first variety introduced 10 years<br />
ago by the Brittany group of growers<br />
Elorn Plants, Elodie, remains their<br />
top-selling exclusivity. It represents<br />
8000 out of the 14,000 tons of seed<br />
<strong>produce</strong>d by the company shareholders<br />
themselves. Elodie is a very early<br />
variety, ideal for re-export programs to<br />
all the European markets. It has been<br />
introduced into more than 20 Mediterranean<br />
and Middle Eastern countries.<br />
Elorn Plants was created in 1996 by 5<br />
young farmers who specialized in seed<br />
potato multiplication.<br />
Due to their considerable experience<br />
and high investment in technology,<br />
the young company quickly increased<br />
its portfolio of premium type varieties<br />
for the table market and industry.<br />
Triomphe, for crisps as well as French<br />
fries, is another promising new variety<br />
launched since 2007. With a 22% dry<br />
matter content, it has a 6 to 8 months’<br />
storage capacity. Galante, for the firmskin<br />
market, is noted for its nice clean<br />
tuber with a beautiful skin and 25-55cm<br />
size (also suitable for baby potatoes).<br />
Europlant team<br />
Europlant working worldwide<br />
This leading German breeder trades<br />
250,000 tons of seed and supplies<br />
any major potato market around the<br />
globe. “We are basically present in any<br />
country growing potatoes” declares its<br />
commercial director Jorg Renatus. Marabel,<br />
Jelly, Agria, Laura and Bellarosa<br />
are its best selling varieties, successful<br />
in most Mediterranean and Middle<br />
Eastern markets. Allians, Red Fantesy<br />
and Anuschka are its newest promising<br />
ones, also for table consumption.<br />
Allianz is a new firm-cooking salad<br />
type with an extremely good taste<br />
combined with a very nice colour and<br />
very good yields. It has already started<br />
to be grown in Mediterranean markets<br />
like Israel and Cyprus and is now being<br />
cultivated for re-export programmes<br />
in Germany, Belgium, Holland and<br />
France. Anuschka is another new firm<br />
Wouter Mutsaers, José Baltran, Peter Tom Wouter Mutsaers, José Baltran, Peter Tom<br />
98<br />
OCTOBER<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
2 0 0 8<br />
cooking type and is already established<br />
for re-export programmes from<br />
Spain.<br />
Red Fantasy is a very robust, easilygrown,<br />
high yielding, red-skinned variety<br />
with a very nice skin finish and<br />
high resistance to phytophthora. It is<br />
already successful in Holland, Portugal<br />
and Spain.<br />
Germicopa running new Chair<br />
Ferme promotion campaign<br />
The leading French breeder aims to<br />
stimulate its ‘chair ferme’ (firm-fleshed)<br />
portfolio of varieties with a new<br />
marketing campaign to be launched<br />
during the winter. With more than<br />
38,000 tons of firm-fleshed varieties<br />
multiplied, Germicopa remains the<br />
clear leader of an estimated 80% of<br />
the French market in this segment.<br />
Charlotte (22,000 tons), Amandine