Rogelio Martí, Sales Director for HZPC in Spain, spoke to Fruit Today euromagazine, about the Dutch company’s most important recent developments. [b]What is the latest news on company sales both in the whole of Europe and in Spain?
In terms of sales, the most recent development we have is the “Sunlite” concept: these are “light” potatoes containing fewer than 60 calories which one Spanish packing company wanted to copy without any scientific basis. If all goes well, “Sunlite” will soon be available in Spanish supermarkets.
Another of our recent additions is Pomonde, based on potato flavours. The Dutch Albert Heijn supermarket chain is already working with us in this concept.
Our country is very diverse when it comes to regions and crops. Can you tell us something about the types of seeds that HZPC is selling here?
Of course there are differences between areas, for example, in the Cartagena area you need wind-resistant varieties such as La Frisia, Liseta and Heros. In other areas such as Valladolid and Segovia, it’s the varieties that can be washed well that are in demand such as Carrera, Ambra, Monalisa and Vivaldi.
Is there any demand for a seed specifically designed for use in the fresh-cut and pre-cooked convenience food ranges?
Yes, in fact we have created a team for the peeled sector, made up of technicians and sales representatives who are in permanent contact with this market segment. New varieties such as Sagita, Oriana and Saline are well suited to the needs of the sector.
One of HZPC’s varieties, Anabelle, was very successful for salads. How do you see its performance after various seasons now?
It has done very well, although in Spain, all the seed planted, around 400 tonnes in Seville and Cartagena, is designated entirely for export to the Netherlands, France, Germany and Belgium, so, in this sense, its growth has been limited. However, in other European countries such as France and Germany, it has done exceptionally well.

In Europe as a whole, this year we will sell around 3,000 tonnes. [b]How does HZPC carry out its market research and what conclusions does it draw about consumer preferences in developed countries?[v] We are still very much involved in this. We have carried out consumer panel research in various countries, including Spain, to ascertain the real consumer preferences. For example, in the North of Europe, they prefer firmer potatoes, Type A, and in Spain we prefer the boiling type AB. With these studies we are steering our research programme to obtain varieties that cater for these preferences. The Pomonde concept is based on this.
It is often the case that whenever there is more development, there is less consumption. Will we ever be able to get back the flavour of potatoes?
It would be wonderful if we could but, to do this, retail chains need to be more aware of the need to offer consumers high-quality produce, with the characteristics of the produce clearly detailed and they need to offer varieties that comply with these characteristics. This often isn’t the case and it has been partly responsible for the decline in consumption because a variety may well have wonderful skin but taste terrible, and it is this that supermarkets have to bear in mind.
If we look at the early potato season now underway in the south of Spain, what exactly is the sales volume for seed and how has this compared with previous years?
This year we will sell around 300,000 tonnes in the whole of Spain, a little more than last year. As far as the South of Spain is concerned, including Cartagena, we have sold a little more seed because of the increase in Heros, which will amount to a volume of 1,300 tonnes this season. The Vivaldi, Frisia and Carrera varieties have also been growing in volume but to a lesser degree.