'Every kilo that is grown today has a boss'

De Boerenbusiness Crop Tour 2021 will follow this year 10 plots of potatoes of the Innovator variety spread across the Netherlands. Every week we ask 1 potato grower about the plot, his choices and his vision. This week it is Jacco van Liere from Dronten (Flevoland). Besides consumption, he also grows seed potatoes and gives an interesting insight into his strategy.
 

The potatoes are in the ground, how is the plot? "The structure on the plot was fine, it was dry enough when planting. We decided to first plant all the ware potatoes on the farm and then the seed potatoes. Especially with a view to the cold weather that was still there at the time. at a certain point it is too late. So then you continue planting and you do not wait for the perfect conditions. The potatoes went in neatly. We plant in 2 working passes, born from seed potato cultivation. and can always drive at the same speed, so we always maintain the same capacity. The seed size on the Crop Tour plot is 45/50 and the planting distance is 32 centimeters. Before ridging, it is a bit of a wait for drier weather, since it does not take long until they are above to stand."

Which strategy do you use in potato cultivation?
"I use a relatively large amount of my own seed for consumption potatoes. Just like the seed potatoes, these go into ethylene storage, so that you can achieve maximum tuber setting. In consumption cultivation it is important to have enough tubers for maximum yield. A variety like Innovator does benefit from that. I have watered quite a bit in the past and I have learned a few things there in recent years. If you manage to get enough foliage on your potato ridges at the beginning of the growing season, then you are basically At the end of July, the plants should really start to take care of themselves, then you'll make it to the finish line."

Which storage strategy do you apply with the ware potatoes?
"You often have the philosophy of contract half and keep half free. That way you often have the fixed costs out and it is easier to speculate. At my company we only grow ware potatoes under contract, every kilo that is grown has a boss today "The contract price provides a form of certainty within the company, because the ware potato market is simply a very difficult market for the free grower. You have to be strong and have a lot of patience to succeed. Because we can store potatoes well. and grow such quality, we can keep to the contract and we have few setbacks. That makes me decide to grow at a fixed price."

"You have very little effect in the potato consumption market, the shortage is always at the end of the day. The situation is different with products such as seed onions and carrots. When there is a lot of demand, the price goes up and that is demand for ware potatoes. maybe only at the end. You have to be able to deal with that."

This is your first year participating in the Crop Tour, what appeals to you most? 
"What I really like is that you can share data with different colleagues throughout the Netherlands. Everyone does it in a different way. Cultivation on sandy soil, for example, is very different than here. You hear a different opinion, sometimes a different view on certain subjects. I find that quite interesting."

Jesse Torringa

Jesse is an editor at Boerenbusiness and focuses in particular on the arable farming sector, including grain and onions. He also closely follows the fertilizer market. In addition, Jesse works on an arable farm in Groningen with seed potatoes as the main branch.

j.torringa@boerenbusiness. Nl

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.