13 April 2023
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Peter takes on the reins at Agrico Research as Sjefke concentrates on technical breeding and research.
PETER Oldenkamp has been appointed Director of Agrico Research, succeeding Sjefke Allefs who had worked for the potato growers' cooperative since 1990 and had been Director for the past 24 years.
Sjefke wished to relinquish responsibilities as a director so he could concentrate on the management of the technical breeding work and research.
Peter has worked at Agrico since 2019 and is responsible for the product management department. He has close links with the work of Agrico Research and held various positions within the fields of research, breeding and product management at trading company Van Rijn Group, KWS Potato and Enza Zaden before he joined Agrico.
Peter said: “The opportunity to take over the leadership of Agrico Research from Sjefke is a fantastic challenge for me. Combining knowledge and experience in breeding, production and the market provides a solid basis for this. Developing varieties for the future and providing the interface between Agrico Research and Agrico BV is definitely one of my key aims during the forthcoming period.”
Sjefke will focus on practical breeding and research.
Director Jan van Hoogen of Agrico adds: “Sjefke has been instrumental in the further development of Agrico Research into a leading organisation in the breeding and development of new potato varieties. He was responsible for the development of our Next Generation varieties from the very start and we are grateful to him for the steps he has taken with Agrico Research.”
Agrico is a company of potato growers that breeds, grows, collects, processes and markets an average of 500,000 tons of potatoes per year. The company has a packaging facility for table potatoes in Purmerend, called Leo de Kock & Zonen BV, its own breeding and research company, and many of its own trial fields at home and abroad.
The commercial and administrative activities are managed from the head office in Emmeloord. Agrico also works through its own subsidiaries and holdings in countries including France, Spain, Great Britain, Poland, Sweden, Canada, Slovenia, Turkey and Kenya and has representatives in almost all seed potato importing countries.
