19.529 visitors at INTERPOM PRIMEURS demonstrate strong confidence in the future

The 17th edition of?INTERPOM | PRIMEURS in Kortrijk Xpo has again chalked up record visitor numbers with no less than 19 529 visitors, representing an increase of 10.5%. In spite of the difficult market situation today, these growth figures (the last edition was also up 25.7%) together with the many new products at the event show that there is strong confidence in the future of our potato, fruit and vegetable sector. There is nothing random about the theme of the event, ?together for sustainable growth? ? everyone is aware of the importance of sustainable growth and the many innovative products on display at INTERPOM PRIMEURS are further proof of this. There was a very positive atmosphere and a striking increase in interest from foreign visitors from all over the world. A complete range of exhibitsThis year, INTERPOM PRIMEURS was completely sold out, with 278 exhibitors (+ 7.7%) from 15 different countries occupying a total stand area of 16 171m? (+14%). In all, the organizers welcomed a total of 19 529 visitors: 8 987 on the Sunday (+ 4.3% compared with the last edition), 5 661 on Monday (+ 10.5%) and 4 881 on the closing day (+24%). This means that INTERPOM PRIMEURS is now the largest indoor trade platform in Europe ? and even worldwide ? for all professionals in the potato, fruit and vegetable sector, where the whole chain is represented, from growing to processing and marketing. Hindryckx and Condi-plants win Inno Potato Award 2014 Good ideas deserve to be rewarded! Especially if they make our agriculture more efficient, sustainable and higher quality. This is why the entire potato chain has come together again to present the third Inno Potato Award. The prize is awarded by the sector to potato producers with innovative projects, as a means of encouraging potato growers to continue to work on innovation in the sector. Jeroen Hindryckx of Koekelare and Condi-Plants of Gembloux are the winners of the third Inno Potato Award. Their projects were selected over the first two days of the event by their fellow potato growers and a professional jury as the most innovative projects on show. Hindryckx impressed everyone with his spreader for effluent containing nitrogen and he is the winner in Flanders. For Wallonia, Condi-Plants won with its preventative treatment of seed potatoes against rhizoctonia. The second and third prizes in the Flanders category went to Dirk Serry and Tim Bockstael respectively, and to S?bastien Deknudt and Jean-Pol Tellier for the Wallonia category. Representatives of the Ministers of Agriculture presented the awards and cheques for ? 1 500, ? 1 000 and ? 750 provided by the Flemish and Walloon governments to the prizewinners at the official prize-giving ceremony on the closing day of the event. You can find a short description of these projects at www.innopotato.be. Inspiring and informative seminarsIn addition to the extensive range of exhibitors and unlimited scope for networking, INTERPOM | PRIMEURS also presented a varied programme of three seminars on the Monday. Dr. Annette F?rschler (QS), Brigitta Wolf (Vegaplan) and ir. Bert Waterink (VVA/VVAK) gave a presentation on the exchangeability of quality systems for potato, fruit and vegetable products. Fedepom and Belgapom organized a panel discussion with Sascha Siegel (Eurex) and Edwin Burgers (DCA) on the the question of ?Is the futures market a risk-spreading instrument for trading and processing??. Katrien De Nul (Vlam) and Luc Roisin (Apaq-W) gave a presentation on ?Generic promotion of potatoes and potato products?. For comparison, Kate Cox of the British Potato Council (the British counterpart of Vlam & Apaq-W) presented her own British promotion campaign and the impact it has had. Finally, the brand new promotion campaign ?Belgian potato products from the land of potato chips? was presented by Belgapom. You can download all these presentations from the INTERPOM | PRIMEURS website under ?seminars?. The next edition of INTERPOM | PRIMEURS is planned for 27, 28 & 29 November 2016 in Kortrijk Xpo. INTERPOM | PRIMEURS is an initiative of Belgapom, the official trade association of the Belgian potato trade, from growing to processing. The practical organization is in the capable hands of Kortrijk Xpo. SourcePress release - Kortrijk, 26 November 2014Pictures1 - Potato processing technology by Kiremko2 - AVR, a main player in the field technology equipment3 - Storage equipment in the front, and processing technology by Tomra4 - The main number of visitors was on Sunday (8987), followed by Monday (5661). The main increases related to the 2012 edition were on Monday (+10.5%), and the closing day, Tuesday (+24%)5 - Promotional campaing explained during the seminars. ?