News on Potato Varieties and Seed from the Netherlands

Jan-Paul Bandsma, De Nijs, Warmenhuizen: 'We're looking for strong, robust, drought and heat resistant varieties.'

Jan-Eric Geersing, Caithness Potatoes Nederland, Emmeloord: 'New French-fry varieties must excel in at least one characteristic, but in fact have two good ones.

Jos Bus, The Potato Company, Emmeloord: 'What you want to find in the end is a practical potato with a simple user manual.'

Lammert Buwalda, Royal-ZAP/Semagri, Wieringerwerf on potato breeding: 'It's a matter of starting somewhere and waiting for a chance hit.'

Robert Graveland, HZPC research, Metslawier: ‘Marker-assisted classical breeding is going to change a lot in the range of varieties over the coming ten to fifteen years.’

Colm McDonnell, IPM, Deinum: ‘We feel an obligation to produce varieties that can be grown in an environmentally friendly way.’

Sjefke Allefs, Agrico Research, Bant: 'As soon as a French-fry manufacturer accepts a variety as a raw material, things move fast.'

Jaap Brondijk, Stet Holland, Emmeloord: ’The point is to achieve significant improvements and not to have more of the same.’

Jacob Eising, Den Hartigh, Emmeloord: 'For growers, it's important to offer harvest and quality assurance.'

David Murdie, Potato Manager at GPS Potato Breeders, Angus: ‘As Scottish growers, we focus mainly on the home market.’

Dirk Stellingwerf, Schaap-Holland BV, Biddinghuizen: ‘There’s always room for new French-fry varieties, as long as it’s a 2.0 or 3.0 version of existing ones. The demand for this is growing especially now...'

Scientists from Solynta and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have published the most complete genome sequence for potatoes to date. A unique aspect is that both sequence and plant material are made available for research.

HZPC is continuously growing. The global market leader in innovative breeding, seed potato trading and concept development, today launches its brand update. A big step forward, without losing sight of what has always been its core.

Dutch family-run potato company Schaap Holland B.V. acquired 5% of the Brussels-based Breeders Trust shares. Breeders Trust supports its shareholders in issues relating to compliance with and enforcement of plant breeder’s rights.

Shortly after it became clear that falsified seed potatoes certificates were in circulation in the Netherlands and Belgium, Breeders Trust, in cooperation with NAK, identified the perpetrators and was able to enact a confession from the guilty parties.

Seed potato supplier HZPC Holland has established the expected prices it will pay to its growers and the organisation expects to pay its Dutch growers a record price of € 41,- per 100 kilo

Last Friday, potato cooperative Agrico celebrated the official opening of its new quality centre. The centre was built last year behind the company's head office in Emmeloord.

Hybrid Potato Breeding company Solynta announced today that it has appointed Charles Miller as its Commercial Director.