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Consequences of cheating seed incalculable

6 May 2019 - Niels van der Boom - 27 comments

The size of the illegally propagated and sold seed potatoes of the Fontane variety is significant. This year alone, 250 tons of seed potatoes have not been inspected. According to the watchdog, seed potatoes have been propagated and sold illegally for at least 3 cultivation years. This is according to new data from Breeders Trust.

In mid-March, Breeders Trust known to track down the illegal seed trade. At the end of April, the watchdog announced that it, together with the NAK, had found the perpetrators. More details were released on Monday 6 May. It would be the largest seed potato cultivation company in the Netherlands, with more than 350 hectares of seed potatoes.

Large volumes
According to Breeders Trust, fraud has been committed with the French fries potato variety Fontane in at least 3 growing years. In the 2018 harvest year, this concerns 250 tons, which trading company Zeeland Trade subsequently sold to Belgian and Dutch ware potato growers. In most cases, the growers were not aware that the seed potatoes were illegally propagated, with falsified certificates.

The breeding company has now admitted to having partially withdrawn the Fontane variety from the trading house's seed potato pool. These uncertified lots were sold to trading company Zeeland Trade in Vogelwaarde. Here the seed potatoes received a forged NAK certificate. There was sometimes a middleman between this company and the grower, but he was not aware of the fraud.

Geert Staring, the director of Breeders Trust, speaks of a disgrace because confidence in the NAK certificate has been damaged at international level and a large number of Dutch and Belgian potato growers have been duped. "They have been misled and unwittingly become involved in the illegal trade in propagation material."

Multiple races?
The service calls on growers and traders to check their records for the past 3 years if they have acted with the parties involved. It is also possible that other breeds have been illegally propagated and traded. The forged certificate bears the number 549.495.787. Companies that recognize themselves in this can report to Breeders Trust or the NAK.

Due to the size, seriousness and repeated counterfeiting, hefty fines and claims are hanging over the heads of the parties involved, according to a press release. In addition, there is a breach of contract between the seed potato grower and the seed potato trading house. The growers of ware potatoes can also initiate civil proceedings themselves against the Zeeland supplier.

Harvesting potatoes again
"There is a (very) high chance that the illegal seed potatoes will have to be harvested," Staring reports. "The Dutch and Belgian authorities do not want to take any risks here, because the starting material can also be ware potatoes. There is no traceability, because the official certificate is missing. This is sour for the growers involved. I really believe that they are acting in good faith been."

It is not the first time that illegally propagated seed potatoes have to be used again cleared† However, the scale of this case is unique, according to the director. "I have never experienced this in my 40 years. In the past we have had business with illegal NAK certificates, but these involved relatively small parties in Kosovo and Turkey. Now it is close to home and with the largest buyer of Dutch seed potatoes. The certificate and the logo stand for trust, so the inspection service takes it very seriously."

Financial gain
Staring can also name a reason why the cultivation company and the trader committed the fraud: "1 certificate stands for a maximum of 30 tons of certified seed potatoes. With the current market prices you are talking about €30.000 per label. The companies became increasingly bold. you hardly notice it on such a large scale when a few tons are withheld per hectare."

The NAK and Breeders Trust are trying hard to tackle the parties. And we are also working on this behind the scenes. For example in the case of last November, in which a seed potato company in Luttelgeest was got caught.

Legs again?
The authorities now have to make a decision about the consequences, which will probably lead to the harvesting of the seed potatoes. The growers are then allowed to plant certified seed potatoes again, Staring believes. The question is whether it is not too late by then and whether they can still obtain seed potatoes at all. That is why it also calls on affected companies to take action against the supplier themselves.

Do you have a tip, suggestion or comment regarding this article? Let us know

Niels van der Boom

Niels van der Boom is a senior market specialist for arable crops at DCA Market Intelligence. He mainly makes analyses and market updates about the potato market. In columns he shares his sharp view on the arable sector and technology.
Comments
27 comments
herb 6 May 2019
This is in response to it Boerenbusiness article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/akkerbouw/aardappelen/ artikel/10882354/consequences-sjoemelpootgoed-not-to-overzien]Consequences of sjoemelpootgoed cannot be overseen[/url]
have some left
buyer 6 May 2019
The information I had appears to be correct.
What happens next with this "trader".
I hear that he is still trying to load his existing contracts, which is his right of course.
As a supplier I would demand butter with the fish, if I read it that way, the whole cheating affair could well cost a lot of money and just as well.
Excellent work by Breeders Trust, NAK and FAVV.
Subscriber
Andre 6 May 2019
So, so, he can close the tent right, and the name will also come, googling
Peter34 6 May 2019
Well, if you're that big and grow on your own land, half a million fine is in itself a difficult task, but for a company of that size, it's still manageable.
next time act a little more aggressively. you don't just become the biggest.
Narcos 6 May 2019
This kind of practice has been turned a blind eye for years, but is not acceptable.
Good export name for seed potatoes is being tarnished again.
Time to intervene firmly and visualize all flows.
How could it be otherwise that after a season with moderate harvests, so many more hectares can suddenly be planted.
The illegal trade is costing the entire sector claws full of money.
seed potato grower 6 May 2019
now what a news. we already knew that. This has been used on a large scale for many years. It's like growing hemp, it's not allowed but it's so easy to earn a lot of money.
lautje 6 May 2019
in my opinion the license holders earn too much. this then provokes such things... the consumption grower pays the bill!
peter34 7 May 2019
@seed potato grower. No, I did not know that. Where does the system fail? With the judges, too trusting? Or should big brother also become common among seed potato growers? More control, more bureaucracy? Because the trust is gone. Where the good suffer for the bad? Who wants to live in such a society?

If this is indeed commonplace, it is time for an anonymous hotline to become available and, in the interest of the seed potato sector, high penalties, which are handed out according to capital capacity.

Relate the amount of the penalty to, for example, hectares of property. Unjust? no equal treatment?* Equal treatment should not be an idea for criminals.
If this is indeed common practice, the credibility of the seed potato sector is at stake, both among consumption growers and abroad.

*You know like in Scandinavia, where the penalty for the same offense for the director of Nokia is much higher than for eg a teacher.
Subscriber
quite coarse 7 May 2019
There is already enough cheating by consumption growers themselves and there are also those who are specifically looking for illegal batches of seed potatoes just because of the price or are annoyed by the existing system of too high prices and too low grower prices for seed potatoes, with thanks to factories and trading houses.
optimist 7 May 2019
I read here all dissatisfied consumption growers who moan about seed potato growers and trading houses then just go bintje seed potatoes and then grow bintje consumption then you do not have to deal with trading houses and fries cartels
and therefore freedom joy
Subscriber
realist 7 May 2019
I understand from my judge that they are now also looking at ware potatoes of which the smaller size is turned out for own seed potatoes.
Subscriber
grain onions 8 May 2019
I wonder why all potatoes from this grower are not removed from the inspection. It is impossible to prove that nothing illegal has happened with this, but also nothing seems to be going according to the rules.

Is the importance of agrico so great not to immediately say goodbye to these mafia practices? And Agrico didn't know anything???
Subscriber
Klaas Jan 8 May 2019
In this way they will collect the claim or settle it with the 2019 harvest
Subscriber
Futures 9 May 2019
Agrico is a gang of thugs.
Subscriber
Rubbish 9 May 2019
Indeed, I also do not understand why Agrico has not already expelled this grower. Who can guarantee that what is now in the ground at this mts...... is not cheating seed?
Subscriber
NAK neutral 9 May 2019
Troop wrote:
Indeed, I also do not understand why Agrico has not already expelled this grower. Who can guarantee that what is now in the ground at this mts...... is not cheating seed?
If the NAK works according to its guidelines (large grower or small grower does not matter) withdraw grower no. How can the NAK and the trading house fair harvest 2019 from this grower?

Or if a buyer does not accept this grower number. They have knowingly cheated the whole thing!!!!
top farmer 9 May 2019
One drink a glass, take a pee and everything remains as it was…
Subscriber
wig maker 9 May 2019
This is a very serious crime and can never be justified.
But it is provoked by the chip factories and trading houses, which together create a huge difference between the payment price to seed potato growers and the asking price of seed potato to the consumption growers.
Then farm criminals keep jumping into this vacuum space.
In addition, something is still wrong:
So few seed potatoes and then managed to plant out such a large area.
It is known that it is incorrect, but yes, French fries factories have a great interest here and certainly do not disapprove of these abuses that are now coming out.
Subscriber
Skirt 9 May 2019
Let's do the math: 250 tons of cheated seed potatoes may do 10 cents/kg more than in the pool. Profit €25000,-
Turnover of this company is 350 hectares of seed potatoes x € 10000 is € 3.500.000

Why would someone take this risk for so little benefit, no, there must be more to it, is this rejected seed, does it come from consumption plots?? In my opinion, not everything has been reported in the media about what actually happened.

Subscriber
butterhead 9 May 2019
not good to talk. But punishing this company that hard is quite something. Does the NAK really think that this grower will ever think of something like this again?
I am curious on which or at which "Agrico growers" the NAK or Agrico have these potatoes sorted and bagged. Hope not in his own region for this punished grower.
Subscriber
Skirt 9 May 2019
The grower sorts and bags himself.
shoemakers1 9 May 2019
make regulations increasingly strict, provoke mistakes, turn a blind eye in some places, and then destroy someone who is the piss pole, it could happen in the Netherlands
Sea Country Treet 10 May 2019
This mega scammer and fraudulent carrot and chicory mafios will not be among them either.
Oh, oh and no profit yet.
What a looooooooooooooserrrrrrrrrrr
Brabant treet 12 May 2019
Have you ever traded with Wim B. Agree
special 13 May 2019
The Belgian farmers who have planned cheating seed potatoes in Zeeuw Vlaanderen should not be destroyed, so now the Boerenbond in Belgium is demanding the same. It is too crazy for words that all this is allowed.
cagri 14 May 2019
But...why does a label have to cost so much? That is asking for fraud and the high cost is apparently not because people have so much work on the thorough checks, otherwise such a case could not have happened. some years receive (this year potters with the size of marbles,...)
Berry 14 May 2019
To avoid disappointment, you can always check the potatoes in advance at the supplier
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