The ultimate international gathering place for all professionals working in the potato industry, INTERPOM will be held in Kortrijk Xpo (Belgium) on November 27, 28, and 29.

There will be no fewer than 315 exhibitors from 15 different countries to greet the visitors and show them their unique selection of goods, tools, services, digital technologies, and cutting-edge fixes for the entire potato chain.

“Do not miss this unique opportunity to discuss the latest market and price trends, as well as the most recent innovations with all your colleagues in the sector. This will provide you with all the assets you need to achieve sustainable, responsible, and therefore healthy growth. TOGETHER TOWARDS HEALTHY GROWTH!,” according to a recent press release.

Fully Booked Exhibition Halls

The entire Kortrijk Xpo complex is taken up by INTERPOM 2022, and all stands in the seven exhibition rooms are sold out. All the top brands will be present, and half of the exhibitors are from abroad. It is also anticipated that attendance will increase significantly from the (exceptionally postponed) 20th edition, which took place in 2021.

Cooperation in the Sector is a Must for Continued Healthy Growth

The organizers’ choice of the theme, “Towards healthy growth” is meant to highlight the obligation placed on each link in the chain to cooperate in the direction of sustainable, responsible, and, subsequently, healthy growth. “Healthy growth” refers to all aspects of agriculture, including cultivation techniques, land usage, and socially responsible growing, as well as sustainable transportation and processing, self-sufficient energy use, and sustainable water management.

“Every year brings new challenges in the potato world, but this year was particularly tough. The extremely dry season resulted in significantly lower crop yields. Fortunately, September was a good month for us and the harvesting conditions were excellent. But it is the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis that are giving us a really hard time. Average costs at the farm level rose 80%, with peaks for energy as high as 300%. This is an unprecedented situation. Personnel costs going up 10% all at once have not been seen in 40 years either. Now that cereals have become the new gold, I think it would be wise to highlight at INTERPOM that potatoes have long been our ‘old’ gold and that we would like to keep things that way. If there is one lesson to be learned from the succession of crises, it is that we now more than ever need an integrated approach and vision for the future of potato production in our country. We must be able to continue our journey together towards healthy growth, and that is what it should be all about on every stand at INTERPOM,” Christophe Vermeulen, CEO at Belgapom said.

The Challenges in the Potato Sector Stimulate Innovations

To achieve healthy, sustainable growth and be able to address the present issues, including climate change, water scarcity, fertilizer limitations, a workforce shortage, and growing raw material and energy costs, innovation is essential. INTERPOM has chosen a few must-see innovations created by exhibitors with the assistance of a group of impartial specialists that not only provide value for users but also profit the entire potato value chain. In addition to being presented at the exhibition on a specific route called the INNOVATION TOUR and through all accessible digital platforms, these inventions will be unveiled in November.

Seminars: From Drought Issues to Disease Control and Price Inflation

The seminar program is compiled by Belgapom and will focus on knowledge sharing:
– The added value of the interprofessional organization Belpotato.be: achievements, challenges and
prospects – Steven De Cuyper & Jean-Pierre Van Puymbroeck (BELPOTATO); Vision of innovative future agriculture – towards 2030 – Jan de Keyser (BNP Paribas Fortis); Sustainability perception of Belgian potato, fruit and vegetables sector – Katrien De Nul (VLAM); Innovation and services in crop protection to benefit agriculture, climate, and biodiversity – Peter Jaeken (BELPLANT); Climate change and potatoes: can biostimulants help? – Geert Haesaert (Ugent); Cooperation in Dutch agricultural sector – Andries Middag (Vavi); The first International Potato Day, a unique celebration of the potato” – André Devaux (CIP); New features in WatchITgrow – Jürgen De Cloedt, Isabelle Piccard (VITO); Irrigating potatoes using alternative water sources – Tim De Cuypere (INAGRO) – Potato fertilization, opportunities in challenges – Bram Vannevel (INAGRO); Phosphorus removal from wastewater produced by the potato processing industry – Jan Dries (Universiteit Antwerpen); Agroecology principles and practice, preliminary solutions for potato – Alain Peeters (RHEA); How European potato processors are driving sustainability from farm to fork – Nuria Moreno (EUPPA); The sector is committed to sustainable use of water – a few case studies – Imca Sampers (VEG-i-TEC); PATAT’UP – Towards low-input potato production – Vincent Berthet, Feriel Ben Abdallah (FIWAP / CRA-W / PATAT’UP); ADAPT (Accelerated Development of multiple-stress tolerAnt PoTato) – Romans Vorss (EUROPATAT); MiNiMax: Making the most of nitrogen mineralisation from soil organic matter – Jeroen De Waele (PCA); Integratie van circulariteit in de aardappelsector met het Living Lab Circulair van Inagro – Reindert Devlamynck (INAGRO); The Supply Challenge in the Global Potato Market – Cedric Porter (World Potato Markets); Vegaplan certification: state of play and new developments – Brigitta Wolf (Vegaplan); Climate measures tailored to the needs of potato growers: what the first Klimrek climate scans teach us – Anne-Sophie Sacré (ILVO).