PotatoEurope 2023 Was a Highly International Trade Fair Both in Terms of Exhibitors and Visitors
The successful conclusion of PotatoEurope 2023, which took place on September 6 and 7 in sunny Kain (Tournai), included almost 10,000 visitors from all over the world and exhibitors who could reflect on a wealth of beneficial encounters.
Regarding attendance figures, the organizers are especially happy that PotatoEurope has established itself as a regular fixture in the potato industry, with almost 10,000 people attending each of the last three Belgian editions in a row: in 2015, we had 9,520 visitors, who increased to 10,683 in 2019, and this year, the organizers were happy to welcome another 10,089 professionals.
“The main strength of this event is that it is a highly international trade fair both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. The number of foreign visitors rose to 33% (25% in 2015 and 27% in 2019), representing over 50 different countries! The 208 exhibitors (225 in 2019) from 16 countries appeared to be generally satisfied to very satisfied. What appealed to them the most? Firstly, the visitor profile, where every attendee is professionally active with some aspect or the other of the potato chain, as well as the wide range of exhibitors representing the entire chain. Secondly, one of the strongest assets of this event is that the exhibitors can reach a very international audience. As a result, even local players get the opportunity to expand their field of activity,” according to a recent press release.
The harvesting demonstrations all went down without a hitch. Despite the dry conditions on the demo days, the harvesters had a great operating surface thanks to the rain a few days previously. The guests were able to obtain a thorough understanding of the 12 machines' capabilities and differences thanks to a net harvesting area of around 20 hectares. There was a lot of curiosity in the five loading lines as well. The ever-expanding alternatives for cleaning and classifying the product drew a lot of attention.
“The organizers were satisfied to see that there was also ample interest in the demos of alternative haulm desiccation methods and mechanical weed control. The increasingly urgent social pressure on our sector to work more sustainably is causing more and more farmers to realize that other techniques are needed. During PotatoEurope 2023, they were able to see some of these techniques in action and compare their results,” the PotatoEurope 2023 organizers mentioned.
Although less consistent across the four fields used, crop yield was higher than during the previous iteration. This was mostly caused by the unfavorable weather during planting in the spring and the subsequent severe drought. Challenger and Fontane seed potatoes were utilized, just like in 2019. The 24 harvested potato hectares produced an average yield of more than 50 tonnes/hectare.
On the eve of the event, PotatoEurope 2023 was officially opened with a ‘Kick Off’ event at the Tournai City Hall. About 150 guests attentively followed some fascinating talks on the future of potato cultivation in the Euro-region, innovation in the machinery sector, and the potato sector viewed through an American lens. The evening ended with a reception serving refined, high-quality potato dishes.
PotatoEurope was organized by Fedagrim, but the success of this edition was once again due to the special cooperation of our partners ILVO, CRA-W, CARAH, FIWAP, and PCA. We would also like to thank Case IH, Dezeure, ING, Lutosa, Manitou, Mydibel, Syngenta, and the city of Tournai for the extensive logistical assistance.
The next edition of PotatoEurope will take place in Villers-Saint-Christophe, France on 11 and 12 September 2024. You can find more information about this at www.potatoeurope.fr.
