News Potatoes
Seed potato fraud continues to occupy the sector
About 1 week after the publication of a press release about illegal trade in seed potatoes of the Fontane variety, the sector is still occupied. Certification body Skal announced that it had decertified the trading company involved in the charge last November. The Belgian authorities have also ruled on the case.
Breeders Trust, which represents the interests of seed and seed potato companies, published a press release on Monday 6 May regarding large-scale fraud with seed potatoes of the Fontane variety. According to the watchdog, the cultivation company withheld part of the proceeds that it had to deliver to the Agrico cooperative.
Forgery of certificates
Handelsbedrijf Zeeland Trade from Vogelwaarde allegedly provided the uncertified parties with a false NAK inspection label and sold the starting material to consumption potato growers. The inspection service takes the forgery of the logo and certificate very seriously, said Breeders Trust director Geert Staring previously opposed Boerenbusiness.
Breeders Trust deliberately included the company's name and location in the press release, along with the grower number on the forged certificate. With this, it hopes that the growers affected by this issue will come forward. It also wants to find out whether several potato varieties have not been propagated and traded in this way.
Response from accused parties
Wim van Buynder, the director of Zeeland Trade, says to be innocent against the Zeeland newspaper PZC. "I have the seed potatoes from 1 grower and was not aware that they were unapproved seed potatoes," the newspaper quotes him as saying. However, the opinion of Breeders Trust and the NAK is diametrically opposed to this. They say that both the trading company and the grower have pleaded guilty. Boerenbusiness has been in contact with the director, but he could not explain the matter. The grower also indicated that he was not in a position to respond.
Friday, May 10 published Skal Bio Control, which supervises certification in the organic sector, the message that Zeeland Trade BV has decertified. This happened in November 2018 and the investigation even started in May of that year. Skal suspected that non-organic chicory was being sold as organic chicory. The traceability on this was insufficiently demonstrable within the company.
Seed potatoes detected
Most of these Fontane seed potatoes have been sold to Belgian ware potato growers. In total, it is estimated that approximately 250 tons of seed potatoes are involved. The Flemish Food Agency, which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, explains news site Vilt.be that it has detected more than 200 tons at 8 farmers. 45 tons of unplanted seed potatoes were also seized from a farmer and trader.
The unpotted potatoes are destroyed, because this seed is not certified. The planted plots are also destroyed. That's what the Food Agency at Felt says. These plots must be sprayed and sown with maize. An insider reports to Boerenbusiness that it is incorrect that the plots are sprayed to death. The Belgian growers would argue for the same treatment as with Dutch colleagues. Here the potatoes are allowed to remain in the ground and are closely monitored throughout the season. In Belgium, there is now said to be a lawsuit on this matter, the outcome of which is expected next Friday, May 17.
For the affected growers, who acted in good faith according to Breeders Trust, it means a considerable financial loss. To get compensation, potato growers have to go to court or demand compensation from their supplier.
Niels van der Boom
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