Most attending traders can be found in the “Commercial Village” at Potato Europe, under the FEDEPOM banner, creating the perfect location for discussions and business, September 14-15, Villers-Saint-Christophe – France.

France is Western Europe’s second largest potato producer. It is also Europe’s No.1 exporter of potatoes for storage in terms of value. In the plant sector, export sales are growing steadily and now exceed 150,000 tonnes (nearly a third of production, of which about 45 per cent is exported to Europe, followed mainly by North Africa and the Middle East). These indicators illustrate the vitality of the French industry and the energy it is expending in marketing its products.

280 exhibitors already, with 30 per cent from abroad

As of 30 March, 280 exhibitors – representing nearly 1/3 of the various countries of Europe, but also from the USA and Canada – had already booked their stands. This figure represents a rise of nearly 12 per cent over the 2012 edition. As well as being a sign of the dynamism of suppliers in the potato industry, it also demonstrates that Potato Europe really is “The place to be”: all attending operators, from upstream to downstream, are there to learn about innovations, hold discussions with other specialists, negotiate and buy tools, services and equipment to enable them to be ever more efficient.

44 hectares of dynamic demonstrations, conference and exhibition areas

Potato Europe‘s reputation has been built on the dynamic demonstrations of potato harvesting and reception. This year’s French edition will also stand out with its world-leading dynamic optical sorting demonstrations. A total of no fewer than 23 dynamic demonstrations, processing more than a thousand tonnes of tubers, will show off manufacturers’ latest innovations in a live environment.

ARVALIS is also making plans to include 4 technical areas that will present R&D advances: genetic resources and varietal innovations, agronomy, diagnostics and in-built protection, and storage and conservation. Conferences will be organised (sensors in agriculture, export markets). Covering an area of 44 hectares, the exhibition includes many experts and over 280 exhibitors who will show off their innovations, share their results and discuss their experiences with visitors.

Over 10,000 visitors expected

“All these demonstrations and innovations – the fruits of a sustained R&D effort – reveal French potato production as among the most efficient in Europe. This is the image we’re promoting for the 2016 edition of PotatoEurope, giving a sense of pride to the producers and a point of focus for 10,000 expected visitors”, says Didier Lombart, President of the ARVALIS – Institut du Végétal’s Professional Potato Committee.

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