Job and Wim Ephraim worked at their father's company, Aardappelhandel Ephraim, in the Netherlands for the past five years. In September last year, they became co-owners. "Our father always said,' You're welcome to join, but make sure you bring your own trade'. That's how we gradually grew into it, and now we continue as a four-person business," they say.
Wim, Marja, Nico, and Job Ephraim
The brothers have actively started setting up their own trade. "The company's main activity used to undersized and oversized seed potatoes. Now, we've added various waste streams like rejected field crop batches, second sorting potatoes, and turnip feed. We're in an excellent seed potato area, and farmers and trading houses are increasingly coming to us to dispose of all waste streams. Industry sales-wise, we've grown recently. Think of peeling, but also the flakes and starch industry", Wim explains.
"The nice thing about waste streams is that there's still free trade. That's different from the fries industry and consumption potatoes, which are increasingly grown on contract", Job continues. "At present, we have plenty of demand for oversized seed potatoes. Those are rarely on offer because many disappear into the seed potatoes. In other years, the sizes 55-up ended up in the ware channel, but now the 55-75s are simply sold as seed potatoes."
Aardappelhandel Ephraim serves European customers directly and supplies overseas clients via exporters. "Eastern Europe is increasingly entering the market. There's a lot of inquiry, but that doesn't immediately translate to purchases," Nico adds. That concerns packaged ten or 25-kg products or those delivered in big bags. The season's going well regarding quality. There's also good demand for second sortings, which have some scab or slight damage. We get rid of it quickly."
"Industry prices are rising, but it's harder to make higher prices for exports," Job continues. He is confident about the season. "Prices should be quite good. The question, though, is whether there will be enough availability. The oversized seed potato supply is truly drying up. Many growers are done or almost done sorting and are holding on to the oversized ones, still available, for the seed potatoes," he concludes.
For more information:
Aardappelhandel Ephraim
6-II Noordermiddenweg
8311 RA, Espel, NL
[email protected]
www.ephraimpotatoes.nl (under renovation)