'Why take a risk with these high contract prices?'

organized for the sixth year in a row Boerenbusiness the crop tour. This year, too, we are following ten arable farmers throughout the Netherlands in the cultivation of chips potatoes of the Innovator variety. In this series of business reports, we introduce the entrepreneurs. This time: Gybert and Corné Doggen from Wouw (NB).

The Doggen family applies non-inversion tillage (NKG) to the sandy soil plots and does all work in-house: from sowing to harvesting each crop. They are also growing more contract potatoes this year due to the increased contract prices.

Therefore 21 business and personal questions to Gybert Doggen, participant in the Boerenbusiness Crop Tour Potatoes.

Which potato varieties are grown on the arable farm? 
"We grow the Fontane and Innovator varieties. We grow Innovator for off-land cultivation, the variety usually brings us coarse potatoes. The French fries factories also like to have Innovator. It is also a premium variety, which means that they pay a little more for it. We grow Fontane for storage."

What is the pre-crop for potato cultivation?
"That differs because we exchange or rent land. We don't choose on the basis of pre-crop, but purely on the basis of convenience. As a result, the pre-crop is sometimes maize and other times onions or grass."

What do you think is the most beautiful crop to grow on your farm?
"I find it easier to grow potatoes than onions, but I think onion cultivation is the most beautiful. In onion cultivation you are rewarded more if things go well." Corné adds: "I like the cultivation of sugar beets the best. Sugar beets are a beautiful green crop. I think harvesting sugar beets is a great job, also because we do the harvesting ourselves."

Are there any side activities on your farm besides arable farming?
"We still have a caravan shed. The caravans are parked in the old bull barn. My father stopped keeping bulls, after which we have set up the barn for the caravans. A very nice solution to fill in the space."

Chopping or baling straw?
"Pressing. Baling straw does yield extra money from the land. We sell the straw and supply compost. As a result, we get more efficient organic matter in the soil. If you sow a green manure crop after chopping straw, you have to add nitrogen when spreading to allow the straw to digest, which is why we opt for baling straw and supplying compost."

What kind of tillage/fertilization is done for potato cultivation?
"We have been switching to NKG in recent years. NKG can be applied well on sandy soil, because the soil is easy to work. We spread 25 to 30 cubic meters of cattle slurry for the cultivation of the potatoes." 

Fries (french fries) or boiled potatoes?
"Fries, of course."

What is your crop protection strategy in potato cultivation?
"We use the Cropvision Gewis and Phytophthora system to determine the optimal time to spray. Furthermore, a crop protection plan is drawn up together with the cultivation advisor. We decide with him which products we will use during the season. If it is possible mechanically, that is our preference. For example, we try to plant the potatoes a little later, so that we can immediately combat the first germinated weeds."

What are your hobbies?
"My hobbies are mainly going out, drinking a beer with friends."

What are you proud of when you look at the company or cultivation?
"I am most proud of the machinery, which we have very up-to-date. We carry out all work in-house, from sowing to harvesting." Corné adds: "I am proud of the yields we get here on the sandy soil."

What do you still want to change / farm towards in the coming years?
Corné: "Gybert will determine the direction in which the company will go. I will no longer do big things. The ball is in Gybert's court." "Gybert: I want to see if it is possible to expand the acreage if we want to look for it in conventional cultivation. If the organic market becomes larger in the future and the robotization of weed control continues, then I certainly see organic cultivation as a option."

What has been the best choice/change in recent years at the company?          
"I'm satisfied with the cultivation of onions, we haven't been doing that for very long. It's also been reasonably rewarding in recent years. Carrying out all the work yourself gives us more freedom. In the past, we always depended on the contractor when he had time. Then they also drive in less favorable weather conditions and that is at the expense of the ground. We were fed up with that for a long time."

What is number 1 on your bucket list?
"I would like to go to New Zealand or Australia again to see how farming is there. Moreover, next year I will go on an internship abroad to Suriname. There are all different projects there. I will focus on helping with drip irrigation in arable farming ."

What activities are you most looking forward to during the year?
"I like the spring work with preparing the land and sowing. But maybe I like digging up onions even more. We've only been doing the digging up onions ourselves since last year, but that was fun to do."

Potatoes from your own company or potatoes from the supermarket?
"That is of course not so difficult potatoes: from your own company."

What occupation would you have had if you had not become an arable farmer?
"If I don't take over the company, I might go into construction. There is enough demand for personnel in that sector."

What is the sales strategy of the products?
"We try to fill the storage shed. That means that Fontane goes into the shed and Innovator is sold off the land. We store Fontane until January or February, or short storage. We used to grow 50% under contract and 50% free. To at least cover the costs for the most part. Everything on top of that is a nice bonus. The idea is to grow a little more on contract this year, due to the higher prices offered. Why do you take a risk for such contract prices? is always a matter of waiting to see what the free potatoes do. I think there is little market forces in the potatoes these days."

What do you see as the opportunities and threats for your company?
"The regulations are a threat anyway, we now have to go to a permanent dormant crop in our cultivation plan. Here on the sand we therefore have to go back to harvesting crops. As an opportunity I see growers stopping here in the area, which we might be able to use in the long run." rent or buy. Despite everything that is going on in the world, there is also a demand for conventional food. So in my view, conventional food will remain profitable in the future."

Can there be watering? If so, what strategy do you use?
"We can irrigate everything here. From the source, as long as you lay enough pipes to reach the crop. We are subject to a permit here with a groundwater source. We are located at the Brabantse Wal. No new groundwater sources may be created in that area. "We have a lot of small plots. If we complete our construction plan with our two reels, we can start again in dry summers. We have to do our best to get by with irrigation within a week and a half. We are actually still one reel short ."

Sun holiday or winter sports?
"I think my preference is for a holiday in the sun."

What is the reason you are participating in the Potato Crop Tour?
"I'm reading up Boerenbusiness always the articles and information from the Gewastour. I think it would be fun and interesting to participate myself now."

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