EVENT FOCUSSES ON GREATER NEED FOR INDUSTRY COLLABORATION AND LOOKS AT HOW CROPS CAN BE MADE MORE RESILIENT, WHILE PAYING TRIBUTE TO LONG-SERVING CEO
NEARLY half of the potato crops worldwide are lost every year in the field because of lack of water, extreme weather conditions, pests and diseases, those who attended HZPC’s recent Potato Days event were told.
With the theme, Resilience Revolution, the Dutch breeder’s event focussed on this and the fact that even a third of the crops that are healthy when harvested are lost further down the line.
The breeder used the event to highlight the increasingly important role breeding is playing in making potato crops more resilient and bringing down the number of losses and to call for stronger collaboration and cooperation within the potato industry as a whole.
“Together, we may take bigger steps towards a cultivation that utilises the full potential of fields around the world,” the company’s recent press announcement stated.
As part of the new theme, Royal HZPC Group showed its resilient varieties and panelists including Erika den Daas, CEO van Meijer Potato; Giulio Romagnoli, CEO van Romagnoli Patate; and Dick Zelhorst, CEO van Aviko; entered into a discussion with each other. Prof Martin Kropff talked about resilient food systems and the Innovation Centre showed how resilient varieties are created.
HZPC takes leave of Gerard Backx and calls for resilience revolution This year’s Potato Days of potato breeder Royal HZPC Group were marked by a farewell and a new beginning. The theme Resilience Revolution was introduced, and a farewell was said to former CEO Gerard Backx, which was accompanied by a donation to the Paul Speijer Fund.
The company also paid tribute to its former CEO Gerard Backx at the event, who has stepped down after serving for 23 years. His successor is Hans Huistra. In lieu of retirement gifts, Gerard asked for donations to The Paul Speijer Fund which offers African students the opportunity to study plant sciences at Wageningen University & Research. He handed over a cheque for €25,000 to Nicole Smit, the fund’s founder and widow of Paul Speijer.
Founded in 1898, and rooted in Dutch soil, HZPC has expanded to become an international market leader in potato breeding, seed potato trading and product concept development. Its potato varieties are optimised for local growing conditions and the business frequently shares expertise and solutions relating to climatic, cultural and commercial challenges faced by growers and suppliers. It exports to more than 90 countries.
