'Responding to demand for product origin'

Whether it's a paper carrier bag for 3 kilos or a mesh bag for 10 kilos, no potato leaves the yard at Barendregt Potatoes in Kraggenburg unpacked. The company processed almost 2,5 thousand tons of table potatoes last year. Our own 'Flevoland potatoes' are popular with buyers, because the demand continues to grow.

'K(l)ei Lekker' is displayed on the bags of potatoes that are ready to be delivered in the shed. “That is the slogan we use,” says Rens Barendregt. “It stands for high quality unwashed, brushed table potatoes with a better taste and a long shelf life.” His father, Peet Barendregt, adds: “We grow some of the potatoes ourselves, the rest is under contract or we buy it in. One condition is that the potatoes come from clay. They have always been known for their quality. The potatoes here from the polders in particular have a good reputation.”

Broadening activities
And Barendregt makes good use of that. In 2013, together with its largest customer, wholesaler Postuma AGF in IJsselmuiden, the company introduced the Flevoland brand of potatoes, the sales of which are conducted exclusively through Postuma. “Consumers are increasingly interested in the origin of products. We are responding to that.” The processing and packaging of potatoes suits Barendregt well. “Originally, we were not a large arable farm, so we looked to broaden our activities,” says Rens (30). The young entrepreneur joined his parents, Peet and Mirjam, 5 years ago.

With the growing demand for smaller packaging (3 and 5 kilos), there was room for Rens to work from home full-time. This growth continues unabated and that is why the storage of products and machines is being moved to rental locations. Not ideal and in the long run the entrepreneurs hope to bring everything under one roof with new construction. Until then, it's a puzzle with space. Moreover, there is no shortage of labour. Peaks are absorbed with casual workers. Brother Jesse (1) is now also working on the idea of ​​joining the partnership two days a week.

From bulk to niche
It is the third and fourth generation that now holds sway at Barendregt Potatoes. “My grandfather and grandmother once started on a lease in Rotterdam,” says Peet. “When they had to leave, they were assigned this location in the Noordoostpolder.” Together with his father, Peet further expanded the traditional arable farm. “In addition to potatoes, we still grow carrots, onions and wheat. In the past, chips potatoes were the main focus, but they yielded little for a long time. I was annoyed by the bulk production and the limited control over the price.”

Reason to expand the little bit of home sales and thus create more opportunity to distinguish yourself in the market. “What we're doing now is much more of a niche market,” says Peet. “About 95% of our potatoes go to wholesalers, who in turn supply fruit and vegetable shops and market sellers.” Since the introduction of Flevoland Potatoes in 2013, this has taken off. Rens: “We already supplied table potatoes in net bags of 5 and 10 kilos before that. The plastic packaging of 3 and 5 kilos has been added to this.”

Switch to paper
To respond to the demand for more sustainability, plastic packaging was replaced by paper carrier bags last autumn. The new machine that was purchased for this purpose is now running at full speed. “The paper bags have a significant additional cost compared to the plastic predecessor,” admits Rens. “They are almost €0,15 more expensive each, but we can pass that price on to our customers.” The packaging contributes to the distinctive character. “It's great to be able to market your own product in this way. That works out well,” says the entrepreneur modestly, “and that gives me satisfaction.”

The packaging line at Barendregt Potatoes is in use all year round. In the summer trade is at a lower level, but during the other seasons the line regularly works overtime. All operations around the packaging line are manual work and so the process is quite labour-intensive. “We are therefore more packagers than arable farmers,” laughs Rens. “Trade is very ad hoc with sometimes 2 delivery times a day. Our biggest peak moments fall in the autumn. Then up to 30 tons per day will go away.”

Proud of product
When the pressure on the packaging side decreases in summer, arable farming activities increase. Rens: “That starts with sowing the crops in the spring. We only outsource this for winter wheat, which is already in the ground. Towards the summer, my father mainly does the spraying and I do the work around it, also for the seed potatoes. We grow 1 hectare of our own seed, only for the Bildtstar variety. We want to keep the rest of our land available as much as possible for the cultivation of table potatoes.” Summer means variety for men. “Often we are packing in the morning and harvesting the rest of the day.” And I like that combination. “We do more than just produce food and are proud of the end product we deliver.”

Jeanette Pennings

Jeannet has her roots in the flower bulb sector and she grew up on an agricultural company in the northern part of North Holland. As a generalist she reports for Boerenbusiness across all sectors. She is also exploring the possibilities of sponsored advertising.

j.pennings@boerenbusiness. Nl

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