The adequate action of Breeders Trust, in collaboration with the various national inspection bodies, is bearing fruit. This spring, no potato growers in the Netherlands and Belgium have been caught using illegally propagated seed potatoes, also known as sjoemel seed potatoes. However, several studies are still underway.
'Sjoemel seed potatoes' headed Boerenbusiness in April 2017, after 2 arable farmers were caught using illegal seed potatoes. Later, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) announced that it had another grower gevonden who was guilty of this. The potatoes had to be harvested again immediately. This has not yet been the case this spring.
The shame is more painful
Is this the result of the crackdown? Geert Staring, director of the watchdog Breeders Trust, thinks it is a combination of causes: "Failure can cost the grower a lot of money. The shame is even more painful. People realize this through action. Rules without enforcement simply doesn't work."
Actively investigating tips and tackling violators last year has had a preventive effect on preventing the planting of illegal seed potatoes this year and we are now reaping the benefits of that, Staring believes. "However, enforcement remains necessary. We are currently investigating some anonymous tips about material without a certificate. We are also sharing tips with the authorities."
Farm seed potatoes
"In the Netherlands we work closely with the NAK and NVWA. In Belgium we share information with, among others, the FAVV (the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain). This is the Belgian counterpart of the NVWA. They take our information very seriously. "In Belgium we are very adamant that there is no tampering with under-declared areas of Hoevee seed potatoes for licensed varieties. These had to be registered before June 1."
It is remarkable that Breeders Trust has not yet reprimanded growers, but: "We should not praise the day before it is evening," says Staring. Both Jan van Hoogen from trading house Agricultural as Gerard Backx from HZPC warned previously for the use of non-certified seed potatoes. In years with a low consumption potato price, they see sales of certified seed potatoes clearly decrease. This also happens in Western European countries where potato cultivation is professionally organised.
In the Netherlands, the area of ATR seed potatoes is almost 1.300 hectares this year, according to NAK declaration figures. That was 1.235 hectares last year. Figures on an increase in the use of so-called farm seed potatoes among Belgian farmers are currently not known.