Potatoes… - Bayer CropScience

This is Agrico
Agrico is a co-operative organization of approximately 1000 potato growers.
Together, they produce about 600,000 tonnes of seed potatoes and ware
potatoes each year that are marketed by Agrico itself.
Agrico has a large number of subsidiaries, including its own packing company for
ware potatoes, its own breeding and research operation, and many test fields in
the Netherlands and abroad. All activities are managed from the Head Office in
Emmeloord (Fl.).
Agrico has its own sales offices in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Hungary, the
Czech Republic and Canada. In addition, it has representatives in almost all seed
potato-importing countries. Agrico exports seed potatoes to more than 80 different
countries.
Jan van Hoogen, Commercial Director of
Agrico: “The art is therefore to remain in discussion
with all parties in the chain, so that
you can provide them as well as possible with
varieties that possess the desired qualities”.
With an area of approx. 36,000 hectares under cultivation, the Netherlands accounts for about 40 percent of
the total Western European seed potato acreage.
it with breeding work, because there are no
resistances to bacterial disease. And as far
as cultivation measures are concerned, we
still know too little to enable us to tackle
the problem effectively.” In addition, he
anticipates that the increasingly capricious
weather will exacerbate the problem of
bacterial diseases.
Erwinia bacteria being tackled
on many fronts
Backx is somewhat less sombre about the
bacterial threat. Although he does not wish
to trivialize the problem, he says that competitor
countries such as France, Scotland
and Germany are experiencing it to exactly
the same extent. “It is therefore not just
a problem for the Netherlands but for all
seed potato-producing countries.” Backx
anticipates that definite solutions will
come, even though they are not actually in
view at the present time. “I remember well
the problems with brown rot and ring rot a
few years ago. We thought that we would
never get them under control either. But
neither of them has been found in recent
years. I therefore anticipate that in time we
shall be able to overcome bacterial disease,
too.” According to the HZPC Director,
first research results indicate that agricultural
hygiene and contamination (via harvesting
machines) play an important role
in the spread of Erwinia. “Growers therefore
have an opportunity to tackle the
problem.” He also states that the Dutch
general inspection service for agricultural
seeds and seed potatoes (NAK) is at present
advising on changes in the inspection
system to counter bacterial disease. “We are
thus tackling the problem on many fronts.
Sooner or later that must lead to success.”
Knowledge
In order to remain leaders in the cultivation
of seed potatoes, knowledge is the main
thing you need. The two company directors
readily agree on this. Backx says that in
recent years, there has been a strict selection
of seed potato growers by HZPC. He
estimates that, as a result, the number of
growers engaged has fallen by approximately
40 percent since 2000. The company
has looked not only at the farm’s technical
conditions for being able to grow
good seed potatoes (such as good soil and
the availability of fresh water), but also at
the grower’s knowledge and management
qualities. “I can state that knowledge and
good management determine more than
seventy percent of the success. Anyone
who wants to survive in seed potato cultivation
in the future must have these.”
Backx emphasizes that success does not
depend on acreage per se. “We have many
growers in our pool who have 30 to 40
hectares and who do excellently – both
technically and financially. This is because
they are experts and have their operation
well under control. But if they want to increase
to 80 or 90 hectares of crop, they
must delegate work and have management
qualities. And that is often a difficult point.
Not everybody has the skill to delegate
responsibilities. And that has to be done,
because it is impossible to oversee such a
large acreage alone.”
‘Large growers know how to apply their
knowledge’
According to Agrico Director Van Hoogen,
scaling-up in seed potato cultivation is
inevitable, just as in other crops. He anticipates
that in ten years’ time, only about
400 of the current 600 Agrico growers will
remain, with approximately the same
acreage (12,000 hectares). In contrast to
his colleague Backx, he is not worried
about the management qualities of the
survivors. “The larger growers know perfectly
well how to accumulate and apply
their knowledge. And with the ever higher
level of education of the younger guard,
I expect that this situation will continue to
get better.” ■
Written by: Han Hammink
1/08 COURIER 17