After three years abroad, Potato Europe, one of the most important events targeting the potato industry, returns to France, this September 14-15, with the aim to repeat the success recorded in 2012. In this exclusive interview, Potato Storage International discusses with the organizers what the highlights will be for the 2016 event, as well as how the potato market has evolved, on all of its segments.

By Dan Orehov

What are the highlights for this year’s 11th edition of Potato Europe?

Diane BOURDOIS, events manager, ARVALIS – Institut du végétal

This 11th edition will be the largest. We will welcome more than 300 trade exhibitors from France as well as international ones, together with suppliers, co-operatives, agro-equipment providers, (the entire list will be on our website www.potatoeurope.com). Overall, more than 10 000 visitors are expected. Every actor of the potato industry can find information and contacts. We will present agronomy solutions in the technical area, French trade will be in the “TradeVillage”, French potato industry will show its strengths, and so on.  

Please provide more details regarding the innovations that will be presented during the event.

Michel MARTIN, Specialist on storage and valuation of potatoes, ARVALIS – Institut du végétal

Among the hundreds of exhibitors, the visitors will discover a large diversity of partners involved with machinery, from field production techniques (soil preparation, planting, ridging, spraying, haulm topping, harvesting…) going through storage (clods elimination, bulk or box storing, drying, cooling, humidifying, sprout control…) to marketing the tubers (sorting, sizing, grading, packing, processing…). All will present their latest innovations to improve their performance for a better quality of potatoes. Completing the news of exhibitors, ARVALIS will present, on the technical area dedicated to storage, a synthesis of the strategies now available or in perspective for sprout control but also on possible means to reduce the energy cost of storage and the way to limit greenhouse impact of artificial cooling.

How many exhibitors will be part of the “Commercial Village” and what is their core business profile?

Christophe MALLET, Director, FEDEPOM

More than 35 traders, members of FEDEPOM will exhibit, alongside 20 ware traders who will present the French offer, which is characterized by an exceptional quality of skin. 12 seed traders will show their rich varietal diversity and three processing traders will also attend.

How do you characterize the potato market in France?

Christophe MALLET, Director, FEDEPOM

Regarding the seed development, the processing is in growth, with a small increase in hectares for the ware potatoes market. For the fresh market, the inter-professional cooperation, through a major communication effort (EUR2m) manages to keep consumption stable. The strength of our culinary segmentation, “French” keeps you on lucrative markets. The goal is to maintain stable consumption. Regarding the processing enterprises, the development of the firms in France,

Belgium and the Netherlands provides hope, since markets are growing continuously.

You can read the complete interview in the spring issue of Potato Storage International