Potato Review

VARIETIES UREASE INHIBITOR NitroShield Protecting your nitrogen Improves Nitrogen Use Efficiency Reduces ammonia losses by 70%+ Contact us today 01526 396000 Visit www.omex.com Email agriculture@omex.com B REEDING company HZPC is seeing its pro ts pick up again after a challenging time during 2020-2021, it has been reported. e Dutch company issued details of its annual accounts for 2021-2022 after the supervisory board met on October 6th and the general meeting of shareholders took place. HZPC’s turnover was 350 Euro, compared to 312 the previous year, and it sold almost 900,000 tonnes of seed potatoes directly or through licensees. e Covid-19 crisis and the impact of a crisis in the Lebanon forced HZPC to reorganise, resulting in lower cost increases in 2020 and 2021. Better market conditions have since increased sales, but net sales were close to zero following the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine in February. It was a particularly uncertain time for ware growers, the company said in its annual statement. Nevertheless strong growth is foreseen outside Europe. CEO Gerard Backx said: “ e world has become more unpredictable and yet we manage to hold our own in uncertain times. I am therefore cautiously positive about the coming nancial year, with more sales and a similar level of pro t.” He said the industry was facing high in ation and energy costs, forcing growers and potato processors to make di erent choices, but demand for food was always going to be present and he envisaged substantial growth in India, China, Africa and America. “We took important steps in the development of new varieties and invested in market development. is will begin to bear fruit in the coming year - I have full con dence in that,” he said. Dutch company’s CEO says variety and market investment will bear fruit. Profits on the up