Belgapom organizes a high level potato event at the Belgian mission in China

In the framework of the Belgian economic mission to China, chaired by Princess Astrid of Belgium, Belgapom has organized a High Level Potato event in Beijing to activate a possible collaboration between the Chinese and Belgian potato sector. Of course the Belgian Fries and its Fritery culture were put in the center of the attention. But as important was the input at this event of the Belgian and Chinese research sector.

The President of Boerenbond Sonja De Becker invited the Chinese invitees on behalf of the Belgian potato value chain to visit Interpom 2020, the biggest indoor potato event in the world. Also visits and contact with research institutions as Inagro, PCA, VITO, ILVO, VIB a.o. will be scheduled, as well as visits to machine and equipment providers.

Steven Krekels of VITO remote sensing got a lot of attention during his presentation of the WatchITgrow tool, which combines satellite images to data concerning soil, crop, climate a.o. to offer on line crop advice on parcel level to the farmers.

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and the Chinese Academy for agricultural science (CAAS) on their turn invited the Belgian potato sector to participate at the China Potato Expo in June 2020, an invitation which was accepted by Belgapom. Also CIP China, the International Potato Center was concerned to this program.

Romain Cools, Secretary General of Belgapom, announced also that VLAM, APAQ-W and 5 Belgian potato processing companies will set up during the next 3 years several promotion actions for Belgian Fries in China, Japan, South Korean and Singapore in a project which is also supported by the European Union.
At the end of the successful event Jan Jambon, Flemish Minister President illustrated after his closing remarks that he's also a true lover of our Belgian Fries.