News on COVID-19 from Belgium

The 20th edition of Interpom, the trade fair for the entire potato chain, was finally held a year later on 28, 29, and 30 November 2021 in Kortrijk Xpo.

Kiremko has decided that they will not attend this edition of the Interpom in Kortrijk, Belgium in order to limit the travel movements and contact moments of its employees

The Belgian government announced new Covid-19 measures. Fortunately, these will not affect trade fairs. Potato trade show Interpom 2021can continue in its usual form on 28, 29 & 30 November 2021 in Kortrijk Xpo with a double protection: face masks in addition to the Covid Safe Ticket system.

After more than 2 years, the first major international meeting platform for the potato chain will finally see the light of day: on Sunday 28, 29, and 30 November 2021, INTERPOM will be opening its doors in Kortrijk Xpo. At last, the potato professionals will be able to meet each other again!

On 10 June the European potato community virtually gathered for the Europatat Congress 2021. Under the slogan 'Stay
connected – new strategies for the potato sector'

We can now confirm that INTERPOM will go ahead! From 28 to 30 November 2021, the global potato sector will be able to gather in Kortrijk Xpo, as it used to do in the past.

No one could miss it in the media last year: the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Belgian potato sector hard.

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) estimates that the total harvest will be 27.9 million tons this season if all potatoes in the ground will be indeed harvested. The harvest is later than usual with all the risks involved.

Last week, the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) association announced their harvest estimate for the 2020/2021 season.

La Comisión Europea ha aprobado un plan búlgaro de aproximadamente 29 millones de euros para ayudar a los agricultores que crían rumiantes grandes y pequeños y a los productores de patatas afectados por el brote de coronavirus.

Responden al nombre de 'frites' – cuidado con llamarlas French fries- y cualquiera que las prueba cae rendido a la sencillez de sus encantos.

TOMRA Food is reaching out to vegetable processors everywhere to help them tackle the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Free, downloadable publication by TOMRA Food for Potato Fresh Packers addresses challenges intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

European potato farmers and processors have pushed back against Australian claims they are about to dump subsidized frozen chips from a coronavirus-caused glut into the Antipodean market.

Continúa el drama nacional que supone la falta de consumo de patatas fritas en Bélgica.

Theme: ‘Let’s connect the potato chain in the post-coronavirus world’. 2020 will go down in history as 'the year of the coronavirus pandemic'.

The foodservice demand for potato products has dropped with 50 – 60 % and the export markets have lost their potential, so the world-wide potato-processing industry has reduced their capacity and need for raw material. More than 2 million tons will probably not been processed in the NEPG mainland potato countries only.

Belgians are being called upon to eat fries at least twice a week as more than 750,000 tons of potatoes are at risk of being thrown away.