Potato News from Belgium

On 4 and 5 September the international potato fair PotatoEurope 2019 will take place in
Tournai. That the fair continues to grow is demonstrated by the fact that there are almost
20% more exhibitors from 17 different countries.

At the upcoming Potato Europe in Kain, Belgium, agricultural machinery manufacturer AVR is presenting its new quick-change digging unit. As of 2020, this option will be available on all 2-row trailed AVR harvesters.

Dewulf, full-liner in machines for the cultivation of potatoes and root crops, will place particular focus on haulm processing, sieving capacity and roller cleaning during Potato Europe ’19.

The last potatoes were planted at the end of April at PotatoEurope’s demo site and until the end of May the participation demands continued to come in. With less than three weeks to go, time for an update!

Waterleau Group NV has successfully executed an important capital increase which secures the ambitious plans of the company for the future.

Sensor-based sorter manufacturer TOMRA offers their insights on the impact of sorting technology on food safety in the Potato Processing Industry

ILVO, HOGENT and TRIAS in Belgium are hosting a Peruvian delegation to the Food Pilot (ILVO, Melle, Belgium) to get the production of so-called “tuntas” (freeze dried potatoes) in a small cooperative factory in the Andes.

AVR developed new receiving hopper for medium-sized agricultural holdings

The European Snacks Association (ESA) has elected Intersnack’s Director Research & Development and
External Affairs, Dr Rolf Nilges, as its new President for a two-year term.

Starch Europe Welcomes Lantmännen-Reppe and Viresol as members.

The potato cannot be burned from the news. This week it turned out that Belgian growers are settling in northern France because the Belgian area is almost exhausted.

Based upon a provisional estimation of the NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) the area in the 5 largest potato countries increased to 609.000 ha of consumption potatoes, a 2.4% increase.

Key Technology announces the promotion of Karel Van Velthoven to Advanced Inspection Systems Product Marketing Manager.

Starch Europe, the trade association representing the European starch industry, has launched a new website on starch in food as the organisation celebrates its 60th anniversary campaign.

Since the humble precursor to modern potato first domesticated in Peru 10,000 years ago, the tuber has branched off into thousands of different varieties.

Supermarkets of the near-future will have their business models radically re-shaped by innovations instore, online, and in the food industry supply chain.

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) have estimated that the upcoming area for
consumption potatoes in 2019 will increase between 1 and 2 % towards almost 604.000 ha in the 5
main production countries.

Dewulf, full-liner in agricultural machines for potatoes and carrots, receives a capital injection by family shareholders Hendrik Decramer and Thomas Decan, in collaboration with investor Jan Clarebout.