Potato Review

NEWS Investment opportunity for seed growers AN increase in available share certificates and a reduction in price has presented a buying opportunity for seed potato growers. Potato breeder HZPC Holding B.V., which was founded in the Netherlands and has a global reach, has published its certificate price after its half-yearly trading day. The supply of certificates has increased and the price of the certificate of share has been set at €118,15. This means a reduction of the value of the HZPC certificate by a maximum of 10%. The large supply oers buying opportunities for seed potato growers, according to the company. CEOGerard Backx said the supply of certificates is higher than ever as many older certificate holders are now looking to sell their certificates. The Connecting Growers programwas created to encourage the transfer of certificates from inactive growers to active growers. HZPC’S annual Potato Days this year took the form of an online event, with a large donation to the United Nations World Food Programme replacing the usual Potato Person of the Year award presentation. Around 1,300 members of the global potato supply chain attended, with interaction frommore than 90 dierent countries, who took part in live chats, break-out sessions and one-to-one consultations. Guests included Pedro Sousa of McDonalds, young American farmer Eric Sannerud, and Professor Martin van Ittersum of Wageningen University. Aviko Potato director Dick Zelhorst spoke about sustainable varieties and breeder Peter Vos presented Camelia, Cardyma and Rashida. Seed grower wins innovation gong SEED potato grower Marc Skivington, of Slainspark Farm, Aberdeenshire, has received the gold ‘Innovator of the Year’ British Farming Award, after coming up with a solution that can ultimately save lives. His solution, Smart Farmer, is a cloud-based software and mobile app tool which uses a trac light system to help farmers run checks on machinery before starting a job, and keep on top of maintenance and servicing. The app works with all types of farm machinery, and is available on Apple and Android phones. GRIMME is the on-farm specialist and Haith provides innovative solutions for processors and packers. As farm scale and specialisation increases, growers require the unique end to end solutions that GRIMME and Haith can deliver. TIONS COMBINED HANDLING INNOVATIONS COMBINED Improving crop quality and presentation adds real value to the crop and saves time and money too. For example, automated in- eld loading to bags or a Haith mobile washer working alongside a GRIMME CLEANLOADER. Together GRIMME and Haith offer a unique combination – bringing crop production and crop handling together. RIM E is the on-farm specialist and Haith provides in ovative solutions for proces ors and packers. As farm scale and specialisation increases, gro ers require the unique end to end solutions that RIM E and Haith can deliver. Improving crop quality and presentation ad s real value to the crop and saves time and oney to . For exa ple, auto ated in- eld loading to bags or a Haith mobile washer orking alongside a GRIM E CLEA L ADER. t r I it f r iq c in tio – rin in r r tio r lin t t r.