HZPC names Dr Marie Rasochová Potato Woman of the Year 2018

Potato company HZPC has named Dr. Marie Rasochová (80) as Potato Woman of the Year 2018.

Marie Rasochová is a great promotor of potatoes in the Czech Republic. She is well known for promoting potatoes as the largest vitamin pills in the world by radio, television, in magazines and newspapers and through road shows.

Marie Rasochová been active in the scientific world and later on started in business.

Scientific work

Rasochová has been educated at the Agricultural University in Prague with a specialisation in genetics and plant breeding.

She started her career at the Potato Research Institute in the Czech Republic and later on became Chief of the UKZUZ, the Central Control and Testing Agricultural Institute.

Subsequently she returned to the Potato Research Institute as Director of Genetics and Breeding. Several research publications carry her name. She received a doctorate (today Phd) for her work and is well known in the potato research work.

Successful in Business

In 1994, after the Velvet Revolution in Czech, Rasochová founded the company MEDIPO AGRAS H.B., focussing on introducing new potato varieties, cultivating, breeding and processing potato varieties. She organised trips to the Netherlands to meet and see the Dutch varieties.

She started with passion, vision and guts, but hardly anything else. In no time she build up a solid business. Today it is the largest company in its field in the Czech Republic and an important partner of potato growers.

Products of Medipo received several national food quality awards.

The prize

Due to health reasons the trophy was handed to Marie Rasochová’s son, Vlastimil Rasochová.
 

Due to health reasons the trophy was handed to Marie Rasochová’s son, Vlastimil Rasochová.

Since 2010 HZPC has selected a Potato Man or Woman of the year annually as an honourable recognition for someone who contributed a lot to the potato world commercially, technically or innovatively.