Says Vice President McCain
'Demand for potatoes continues to increase'
The demand for potatoes and potato products will continue to increase in the coming decades, according to Ghislain Pelletier, vice president of McCain Foods. Pelletier expects an increase in consumption, especially in developing countries. In the meantime, China and India are working hard to professionalize potato cultivation and processing.
At a meeting of the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Potato Board, Pelletier held a presentation about the future of the potato sector. Pelletier has been active in the potato world all his life and has been working for McCain since 1991. He is currently deputy director of the 'global agronomy' branch, which includes the company's R&D.
Technology
With his presentation, he paints a picture of global potato processing. The first two decades of the twenty-first century mainly show an expansion of technological progress, which started in the 2s and 60s.
Since the potato is a very productive crop and has a higher nutritional value than rice, the McCain man expects demand from developing countries to increase. "Global potato consumption is increasing, but the market share of the processors is also changing."
Professionalization
According to the vice president, China and India are becoming major players in the industry. These countries will greatly increase their productivity and quality in the coming years. "Potato cultivation is improving, partly due to better seed potatoes and more mechanization. New techniques keep coming, such as new breeding techniques," thinks Pelletier. "How much of an impact this has on the sector depends on consumer and grower acceptance. The technology will change significantly over the next 10 to 15 years."
The consumer also plays a role in the story. They want to know how their food is produced. "We need to be proactive in communicating our successes to the outside world and work with the food industry to do that."
The climate
Climate change is also an important theme for potato cultivation. Pelletier sees maintaining a good soil structure as the most important point for arable farmers. In addition, when choosing a variety, the climate must be taken into account. Finally, he mentioned the use of more green crop protection products to keep up. "Otherwise we will lose our market share."
Niels van der Boom
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.