07 April 2023
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Golden celebration for cooperative on a par with potato's journey.
POTATO cooperative Agrico has begun celebrating its 50-year anniversary, organising various events for growers, members, buyers and employees to take place throughout the year.
The cooperative was formed on April 2nd 1973, from a merger of three cooperatives: The Groninger Pootaardappel- en Zaaizaadverkoopbureau (PZVB), the Coöperatieve Drentse Telersvereniging GA (DTV) and the Coöperatieve Producenten- en Handelsvereniging voor Akkerbouwgewassen G.A. Zuiderzeepolders.
It now has a network of subsidiaries around the world. Potatoes taken from the ground by Agrico growers in the Netherlands are replanted elsewhere in the world to grow into mature plants.
The theme for the anniversary celebrations is 'With Heart and Soil' and is based on the fact that the earth connects us all, we look after it.
General Director of Agrico, Jan van Hoogen, said: "The potato fits in perfectly with this, because the potato allows you to still achieve a high yield and high nutritional value on a relatively small area and little water is required."
He added: “Throughout the world, Agrico is constantly establishing and increasing the sustainability of potato value chains, to be able to meet the increasing global demand for potatoes now but also in the future."
Along with the growers and through the breeding by Agrico Research, Agrico has focussed on developing, growing and marketing sustainable seed and ware potatoes that are suitable for climates and markets throughout the world.
The potato trading company has developed various varieties that are grown and sold all over the world.
Agrico is at the forefront of the development of new varieties, with a focus not only on flavour, quality and yield, but primarily on a more sustainable world for the future generations.
Jan said: “In the coming years, a lot will change in our playing field because of EU legislation. This legislation presents significant challenges for our growers. Agrico’s new Next Generation varieties will have to play a major role in this, turning the challenges into opportunities. In addition, the ‘next generation’, Mark Zuidhof, will be taking over from me. The theme chosen for Agrico's 50th anniversary ‘With heart and soil. Committed to the next generation’ shows that Agrico is also truly committed to the next generations."
