Potato Review

48 POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2023 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Saline cultivation reaps rewards SALTY potatoes are being introduced in the Netherlands following years of testing. Over 1.5 billion hectares of land globally are considered to be too saline for food cultivation. But agricultural entrepreneur Marc van Rijsselberghe has discovered salt-tolerant potatoes and other vegetables that can be grown on such land and has set out to help growers around the world to cultivate them. Marc, who runs Salt Farm Texel in the Frisian Islands along the north coast of the Netherlands, has been experimenting with various salt-tolerant crops in countries around the world. Having founded ‘Zilte Teelt’ (Saline Cultivation) in the Netherlands, he has been working with grower Henk Broekman and wholesaler Jansen-Dongen to bring salty potatoes to the Dutch market. Natural seaweed fertilisation is used in growing these potatoes and the salty potato will be on supermarket chain Jumbo’s shelves under its own brand this season. Laurens Jansen of van Jansen-Dongen said: “Salinisation significantly changes the potatoes’ flavour, making them sweeter and tastier.” A multi-year project, Zeker Zilt, has been started to develop and market salty potatoes and carrots under the ‘Van de Wadden’ brand. It has received a huge amount of support, with its champions including the Wadden Fund, rowers from the Wadden region in the Netherlands, the Waddengoud hallmark and The Louis Bolk Institute, a Dutch knowledge institute for sustainable agriculture, nutrition. The yield per hectare is slightly lower, so cultivation adjustments and added value in product processing and marketing are sought to create a profitable, new earnings model for growers in the region. The Van de Wadden brand uses a robust, starchy potato variety. This season, a select number of parties, including wholesaler Jansen- Dongen, will introduce these potatoes and carrots for consumption. Besides ware potatoes, salty chips will also be introduced under the brand. HZPChelps to developpotato varieties inVietnam DUTCH potato breeder HZPC is working with the International Potato Centre (CIP) to develop five new potato varieties for tropical conditions in Indonesia. The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture is funding the project, which is taking place in Vietnam. It aims to raise the profile of potatoes in Indonesia and develop better varieties for the conditions there. Wichard Sanders, a breeder with HZPC who is closely involved in the project, said in a recent interview: “It is much more diŸcult to work in Indonesia because you cannot import materials as a result of the quarantine policy. “We started looking around and ended up in Vietnam. This is similar to Indonesia in terms of climate. It is easier to bring material in and the country has breeders’ rights protection. If you develop a variety there, you can protect it there too. And even better, the people there are young and eager to learn.” Growing market for Belgian exports IN just a few decades the Belgian potato processing industry has grown into the world’s largest exporter of pre-fried potato products, according to VLAM, Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board. All over the world, consumers now enjoy original Belgian fries and in 2021 the export of frozen potatoes amounted to 3.1 million tonnes. This was never more apparant than at the recent 2023 Fruit Logistica exhibition in Berlin, where potato producers formed a key contingent of the 40 Belgian companies, auctions and trade associations participating at the 660 m² joint VLAM stand. Those exhibiting included Binst Breeding & Selection, which o§ers a large number of varieties of seed potatoes; De Aardappelhoeve, a specialist in the cultivation, storage, washing and packaging of table potatoes; Ranst potato/product supplier Pomuni; RTL Patat, a specialised potato grower in the Belgian border region; peeling specialist Viafrites; Remo frit, a family company which grows, peels, cuts and provides processed potatoes; and Warnez, another family company that packages Belgian potatoes for the fresh market. In Belgium, around five million tons of potatoes are processed annually into a wide range of potato products including chilled and frozen fries, puree products, crisps, granules, and flakes. The country’s market share outside of Europe is also on the rise, particularly for Belgian chip exporters. In 2021, the share of non-European markets already amounted to 34%, more than double what it was a decade ago.