News on Industry Associations from Belgium

The breeding company Averis, located in Veendam, has joined Breeders Trust as a shareholder. Breeders Trust supports participating companies in protecting and enforcing plant breeder rights and contract terms.

GB Potatoes has been welcomed participation from all in the potato supply chain, including growers, packers, processors, seed growers, research organisations, independent advisors, and ancillary businesses.

The General Assembly of the European Snacks Association (ESA) has elected Sandy Iagallo, Senior Director Regulatory & Wellbeing Europe at Kellogg Europe, as its new President for the term 2023-2025.

The Conference main theme was 'EUPPA driving sustainability across the potato processing sector'. It was the first gathering of the kind since the Covid-19 outbreak.

June has marked the end of Europatat’s Presidency for Mr Gilles Fontaine, who joined Europatat’s Board in 2014 as Treasurer and became President in 2018.

Mathijs Peters, responsible for EU Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo was elected President of the European Snacks Association asbl (ESA) for a two-year term. He succeeds Dr. Rolf Nilges, Intersnack’s Director of Research & Development and External Affairs.

RUCIP European Committee -  the organisation that looks after the rules and practices of the Inter-European Trade in Potatoes - has a new internal organisation and new leadership.

The organizers of the Europatat 2017 Congress in Antwerp from 15 to 17 June announce the addition of a number of high level speakers to the programme

WatchITgrow is a new geo-information platform developed for the potato sector in Belgium with the purpose to better estimate and increase the potato yield in a sustainable way.

Under the provocative slogan 'Making the European Potato Trade great again! (it’s gonna be huge, it’s gonna be great, it’s true!)', the Europatat Congress 2017 will focus on two major current issues for the potato sector: plant health and trade.

As a result of the late potato harvest in the North-western European countries (BE, DE, FR, NL, UK), the potato growers organisation NEPG has decided to postpone publication of its annual yield estimates till the third week of November.

Als gevolg van de late aardappeloogst in alle NEPG landen (BE, DE, FR, NL, UK) is besloten om de bekend making van de officiële NEPG oogstverwachting cijfers uit te stellen naar de derde week november.

Improving safety practices and achieving a safer working environment is a priority for all the EU starch producers. Starch Europe announces today the winners of this year’s safety awards.

INTERPOM | PRIMEURS, the leading indoor trade fair for the potato, vegetable and fruit sector in Europe, shows strong growth in 2016, featuring 310 exhibitors and all stand space fully booked.

Starting from the 2016 – 2017 season, the Belgapom quotation will be made up of three parts, each supplemented by their own market sentiment: Bintje, Challenger and Fontane.

Potatoes are the second largest cultivated crop in Belgium and a key ingredient in Belgian cuisine. It's the base of the world-famous French fries, and is considered by Belgians as part of their national pride.

Interpom | Primeurs 2016 promises to be the biggest edition of this potato event ever and the 2016 theme is: 'Growing through precision technology'.

Stories about large losses in harvest in the Belgian sector due to the heavy rainfall are circulating in various media. But Romain Cools of Belgapom says it is too early to come up with a percentage.