May/June 2019 - 22

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Spuds Big in Belgium
Seed damage, possible CIPC ban present
challenges to growers in EU
By Melanie Epp
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
I
t's no secret that Belgians love their
fries. In fact, the mere mention of
" frietjes " can lead the most reserved
Belgian to wax poetic, inspiring lengthy,
almost romantic discussions on the
best local " frituur " or how mayonnaise
should be served: slathered on top or on
the side.
To Belgians, though, the potato is so
much more than just a means to make
fries. It is a household staple that's
integral to their culture, their landscape
and their economy.
THE WORLD'S LARGEST
FROZEN POTATO EXPORTER
In 2018, the Belgian potato processing
sector achieved record growth,
exceeding 5 million tons of processed
potatoes. Not only did the processing
sector break the record, it was also the
sharpest annual increase on record
since the 1990s.
In 1990, the country turned
500,000
approximately
tons
Challenger potatoes on display at Fruit Logistica in Berlin earlier this year. Photo: Melanie Epp
of
potatoes into fries, mashed products,
chips, granules and flakes. Last year,
by comparison, the sector reported a
1,000% increase, making Belgium the
largest exporter of frozen potatoes in
the world.
Processed potato products are
shipped from Belgium to more than 150
countries around the world, providing
a net trade value of more than €1.75
billion ($1.97 billion) each year.
According to Belgapom, the Belgian
potato trade and processing industry
association, in the French-speaking
region of Wallonia, low cereal prices
22
Spudman.com
and a sharp decline in the cultivation
of beets has made the potato one of
the most important crops produced.
Processing alone accounts for some
5,000 jobs and thousands of indirect
jobs in the region.
Belgium was able to achieve this
incredible growth due to increased
demand for potato products on the
world market. In Asia and South
America, a growing middle class is
driving demand for convenience
products, including Belgian fries.
Despite the setback of the 2018-19
growing season - which was greatly
impacted by a lengthy drought followed
by intense heat waves - a record
harvest in the second half of the 2017-18
growing season contributed to the large
supply of potato products.
The future for the processing sector
looks bright as well, as 2018 also saw
significant investment, reaching a total
of $350 million.
BELGIAN PRODUCTION IN
NUMBERS
Both the soil and the climate of
northwestern Europe where Belgium
is situated are perfect for potato
production, which is why the region
produces some of the highest yields in
the world. Across the country, more
than 3,500 Belgian farmers produce

http://www.Spudman.com

May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/June 2019

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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/basf-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2019
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