Aviko significantly expands French fries production at the French border

Aviko is going to significantly expand the production capacity of frozen chips and potato flakes. The food group, which is part of Cosun, is building a new factory in Poperinge, Belgium (near the French border). This factory, which should be ready for the 2021 harvest, can process 350.000 tons of potatoes on an annual basis.

It concerns an annual production of 175.000 tons of frozen French fries and 11.000 tons of potato flakes, which are sold on the markets in Western Europe, Asia and South America. By way of comparison: Aviko's largest factory in Steenderen has a processing capacity of approximately 600.000 tonnes of potatoes per year. The new factory in Poperinge will be set up in such a way that a second production line can be built in the future, doubling the capacity to 2 tons. 

The investment amount is not disclosed. According to Ton Christiaanse, the company's CEO, Aviko wants to take advantage of the growing market with the substantial expansion of capacity. "The world market for frozen potato products continues to grow at about 4% per year," he said in a statement. Albert Markusse, Cosun's CEO: "The investment will enable Aviko to further strengthen its strong position in the European markets for food service and retail branded articles in the long term and also to make optimal use of the opportunities for attractive and profitable growth overseas."

Raw material from France and Belgium
The choice for it South Flemish Poperinge, near Ypres on the French border, was made after careful evaluation of the possibilities in terms of cultivation, logistics and the market, according to Christiaanse. Given the choice of location, Aviko will contract the potatoes in Belgium and France in particular, where there are sufficient opportunities to expand cultivation. 

Aviko already has a factory in nearby Proven, a sub-municipality of Poperinge, for the production of chips and potato specialties. When the new factory in Poperinge is operational, it will take over the French fries production. The factory in Proven will then fully focus on making potato specialities.

Aviko sells products to more than 110 countries and has production locations in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Poland and China. In its own words, the group is one of the four largest potato-processing producers in the world. 

Eric the Thrush

Eric is a member of the editorial staff of Boerenbusiness. As a descendant of an arable family, farmer's blood flows through Eric's veins. He considers himself a generalist, but with a preference for economics, trends, markets and marketing.

e.delijster@boerenbusiness. Nl

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