BusinessDutch farmers launch Potato Valley innovation plan

Dutch farmers launch Potato Valley innovation plan

-

Farmers and researchers in the north of the Netherlands have joined forces in a new platform to future proof the potato.

The alliance, named Potato Valley, targets the 800 potato growers in Groningen and Friesland. Most of these are seed potato growers, but potatoes for consumption and the food industry will also come on board, broadcaster NOS said.

In particular, more research into disease and crop protection is necessary, LTO Noord spokeswoman Tineke de Vries told RTV Noord.

The Dutch eat around 2.5 billion kilos of potatoes a year – or 140 kilos for every man, woman and child – and export a further one billion kilos.

Valley, after Silicon Valley, is a popular term in the Netherlands to describe innovation initiatives. For example, the Food Valley is a centre for food research near Wageningen and Drunen has a Metal Valley which is supposed to turn the Noord-Brabant town into an ‘innovative focal point’ for the metal and engineering sectors.

Source: DutchNews.nl

 

Trending This Week

BLACK DOT Alert! Here’s Why I’m joining Spud Smart’s Soil Health Panel — And...

As someone who’s spent my entire career working to understand what’s happening below the surface of a potato field, I can tell you: what...

Bye Bye Burbank

0
There is an entire multi-billion-dollar industry built around the Russet Burbank. Luther Burbank selected the variety over 100 years ago, and it has many advantages....
Tubers infected with potato wart

Think You Know Potato Wart? Five Myths, Debunked

Canada has had no new detections of potato wart since 2021, so it’s time to set the record straight. Nearly five years have passed since...

Canadian Work on Diploid Potatoes Builds Momentum

Diploid potatoes are back in the headlines — and for good reason. Rapid progress means real solutions are on the horizon for growers. The Canadian...

Digging Into New Potato Varieties in the 2025 Trial Season

0
I love trial season. I always feel like the UC Davis Kern County Field Day in June is the big kick off to trial...