"Here, in Flevoland [the Netherlands], this season's potato crop is certainly not lost, even after all the rain," says Anton Riezebos of Polder Potato in mid-July. "The potatoes are generally in reasonable shape. The first trial harvests seem good, though the volumes are nothing special." He sees significant differences in the plots.
"Some are good, but others have whole sections of their crop missing," says Anton, adding that the results still highly depend on the rest of the growing season and fall harvesting conditions. The late planting means harvesting will be delayed, which may present challenges. He expects a more even crop for the coming season without last year's huge tubers.
Besides local sales to wholesalers and peelers, Polder Potato increasingly focuses on exports, especially to southern Europe. Rising temperatures in countries like Spain and France make it harder to grow potatoes locally, while demand is increasing. That development and expanding existing relationships create a growing southern European market for Polder Potato.
Potato prices have stayed high in recent years. That has contributed to higher contract prices and a favourable investment climate. Some growers with good storage facilities even choose to continue growing potatoes outside of contracts, attracted by potentially high market prices. Polder Potato, however, has always focused on quality. That has led to investing in new storage facilities and sorting machines to meet the increasing demand for high-quality potatoes.
They now have a new storage space with plenty of drying capacity, specifically for the versatile Agria variety, which is suitable for export. The facility uses crates that keep the potatoes more vital and minimize pressure spots. It also has solar panels and an automated cooling system that responds to electricity prices, thus saving costs.
To meet the growing demand, Polder Potato continually invests in technology and infrastructure. New optical sorting machines and a washer bring greater efficiency to the production line. The company can, thus, respond to the demand for high-quality potatoes, a segment in which they want to stand out by focusing on a better product at a fair price.
The cooling facility houses 2,300 Naus Agriboxes pine boxes. These are assembled on-site to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact. Naus Agriboxes focuses on good value for money and uses only wood from sustainably managed forests. The boxes' quality and durability are crucial, especially in dry storage conditions like at Polder Potato. The company is also experimenting with a wood treatment that extends the boxes' life without rotting the wood, vital for long-term agricultural product storage.
For more information:
Anton Riezebos
Polder Potato / ASN
Oudebosweg 14
8251 RD Dronten
Tel: 0321-336272
Mob: 0634745662
[email protected]
www.polderpotato.nl
Naus Agriboxes
Espelerweg 50, 8311 PP Espel
T: +31 527 651 346
[email protected]
nausagriboxes.com