EUROPLANT Handel Ziemniakami completes another successful year in the Polish seed potato market

Despite considerable weather problems in the 2017 harvest season, EUROPLANT Handel Ziemniakami (EHZ) has maintained its position in the Polish market. With an area of 320,000 ha, it is the largest in the European Union.

 The initial situation with difficult harvesting conditions and low consumer potato prices initially caused major problems. "In good cooperation with our Polish growers and the parent company in Germany, we were nevertheless able to fully meet the needs of our seed potatoes customers," says Director Krystof Korolewicz. The volumes produced were fully marketed so that the facilities can now be prepared for the new season.

"We attach great importance to the cleaning and disinfection of warehouses, technical equipment for field production and storage. This is the only way we can ensure quality production from the meristem plant to the seed potatoes for sale," explains Korolewicz.

In addition to the sale of Polish seed potatoes, seed potatoes were imported from Germany to a considerable extent to meet the increased demand for EUROPLANT varieties.

"This year's deliveries from Germany worked perfectly, whenever things got tight with our own goods, our colleagues quickly helped and delivered more. Our customers appreciate this very much," says logistics specialist Jaroslaw Stawiszynski.

EHZ is also one of the largest representatives in Poland in the field of propagation of seed potatoes in the cultivation year 2018, with over 1000 ha of seed potatoes being propagated. In the cultivation year 2017 it was even ranked first in Poland in terms of the increased number of varieties and area under cultivation.

"For the current year of cultivation and the upcoming 2018 harvest EUROPLANT Handel Ziemniakami will continue its successful cooperation with the Polish seed growers, the propagation companies, the consumer potato growers, the trading companies, the packaging and peeling companies and of course with the large partners in the potato processing industry in the starch, chips and French fries sector" explains Dr. Slawomir Wrobel, who has joined the EUROPLANT team after a long period of employment at the potato research institute in Bonin, has been impressed by the performance of EUROPLANT varieties for 2 years.

While the chip industry has been working successfully with EUROPLANT's OSIRA, MADISON, OMEGA and TOMENSA varieties for many years, the new HONORATA variety in this segment also gives rise to great hopes for the future. "We are not yet at the end of development with our chip types" promises contact person Jan Sztepiuk, who celebrates his 20th company anniversary at EUROPLANT this year and has accompanied the development in this area from the very beginning.

"The AMADO, EUROGRANDE, EUROFLORA, EUROSTARCH, ROBERTA and ZUZANNA varieties are on a good path and, due to their good leaf health, good virus resistance and above-average starch yields, are often cultivated," confirms Krzystof Martyna, who is responsible for starch potato production.

New is the first cultivation of the DONATA variety for an international group of French fries manufacturers. This variety has already been tested internationally and will hopefully now start to conquer the Polish market.

For many years EUROPLANT has been the No. 1 Polish cultivar under its wings with the VINETA variety. But new varieties such as BERNINA, MADEIRA, MONIQUE, RICARDA and THERESA are also developing positively. Programs for food retail have already been agreed with some of these varieties together with Polish packaging companies, which will then promote these varieties under these variety names as a trademark. "It also makes us a little proud that our work is then so appreciated," says Director Korolewicz.

 The varieties ANUSCHKA, BELANA and REGINA are developing very well for the growing area of convenience products and are now processed by peelers all year round for a wide variety of products.

The plantings were a little late this year due to the weather, but in the meantime the propagation stocks in northern Poland are in excellent condition and the selection within the scope of the seed potato recognition has long since begun.