PotatoEurope 2014 took place on 3 and 4 September on the Rittergut Bockerode estate in Springe-Mittelrode near Hanover, Germany and was a central meeting point for potato professionals from all over the world.
According to preliminary results of the event organizer, DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft / German Agricultural Society), around 10,000 visitors from more than 60 countries came to this top-class event for the international potato sector. "The impressively international character of this special event relating to all aspects of potatoes is particularly welcome," said DLG CEO Dr. Reinhard Grandke. One in three visitors was international. Most of them were from the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and the United Kingdom.
However, expert visitors from Asia, North and South America and Africa also used PotatoEurope 2014 to intensively gather information about new and tried-and-tested varieties and seed, machinery and equipment for production and processing, about management questions, trade and about fertilizing strategies and plant protection.
Impression of the harvester demonstrations at Potato Europe (raw video, 5 m)
Martin Umhau, DLG Board Member and Chairman of UNIKA, Germany's potato industry organization (Union der Deutschen Kartoffelwirtschaft), added that the positive international reception underlined very clearly the great potential of the potato for future global food security. For Umhau, not only is PotatoEurope an impressive showcase for advances in technology in potato production but it is, above all, an international discussion platform for all market participants and a forum for promoting the image of the potato.
The exhibitors were very satisfied with the course of PotatoEurope 2014 and its results. They were particularly impressed with the high level of visitor expertise. Intensive discussions based on sound expert knowledge characterized the professional atmosphere on the stands of the 220 exhibitors from 13 countries.
Aerial view of the potato harvesting demonstrations
The next PotatoEurope will take place on 2 and 3 September 2015 in Kain/Tournai (Belgium). The organizer will be Fedagrim (Belgische Federatie van de Ultrusting). PotatoEurope will take place in Germany again in 2018.
