05 Collaboration & connection

Doing things a little differently and making improvements every day, with an impact on the chain and society... that is what drives us. We are looking at how we can collaborate even more effectively, also within the walls of Royal HZPC Group B.V. We are working on our visibility and constantly strengthening ties with colleagues, customers and growers.

NetSuite, the new ERP system, helps us clarify and define our customers' demands and our offerings. It replaces our old system and will ensure we are ready for the future. The new ERP system allows us to make gradual improvements for our customers, growers and colleagues. Implementing this type of new system is always challenging, especially when you have to maintain service levels for customers, growers and partners during the implementation process.

Royal HZPC Group B.V. is organised in a market-oriented way with a compact team. This method of working with small multidisciplinary sector teams is a recent development. By pooling expertise and knowledge, we can more effectively support regions, licensees and customers and be even better placed to support our promising new varieties during their introduction to the markets.

For the time being, we will continue to allocate €1.5 million annually to donate certificates to active growers in the European Union. We evaluate whether Connecting Growers is still necessary each year and see it as an important means of strengthening the bond with our active growers.

In a labour market that is still under considerable pressure, we have managed to find good candidates for vacancies. There are plenty of talented workers who want to live and work just outside the central ‘Randstad’. HZPC France has been very successful in attracting new people with its Great Place to Work campaign. The average age within our company remains an issue. We have a great deal of experience and knowledge in-house, but the challenge remains to transfer knowledge to the next generation in good time. We do this by investing in training, personal growth programmes and creating an inclusive working environment in which young professionals can develop.

Five years ago, Feico Born asked you to help him. With what exactly?

"I never dreamed of becoming an agronomist until I met Feico Born. At first, I was his driver and translator. I learnt many things about potatoes as we travelled around the country. Feico left a lasting impression on me. As a leader, he inspires people to take action and see the potential in themselves."

What are you doing now?

"I train local farmers on Good agricultural practices (GAP). There is very little knowledge of this in Tanzania. HZPC has developed the 8-factor training programme. Meanwhile, HZPC has attracted about 60 groups of farmers, who bought seed potatoes this year. We trained each group according to the programme, using demo fields where farmers can learn in practice. When they see the successful results on the demonstration plots, they are inspired to apply what they have learnt. And as a result, productivity and sustainability increase. We expect to expand to 100 groups next season."

What are the opportunities and challenges in Tanzania?

"Tanzania now has a population of 68 million, but by 2050 that number will have doubled. The majority of the population is younger than 35. They love chips with egg and vegetables. They eat that up to five times a week. Demand for potatoes is high and ever-increasing while, simultaneously, we are experiencing the effects of climate change, with higher temperatures and drought."

What are farmers in Tanzania coming up against?

"In Tanzania, 80% of agriculture is small-scale. These small farmers are not well placed to test and analyse the soil, so they use too much fertiliser and sometimes not even the right ones. In addition, they do not apply crop rotation principles, which leads to certain diseases. As a result, yields sometimes fall short."

What is the effect of the training sessions?

"Thanks to the training, farmers now have 30 to 35 tonnes yield per hectare. That is much more than the 10 to 12 tonnes they had to make do with before. And there is still room for improvement."

Which varieties are popular in Tanzania?

"Sagitta is the most popular and is often called ‘kiazi cha mzungu’ (white man's potato). The variety gives much better yields than local varieties and it's tubers are nicely elongated. Challenger is ideal as a fries variety. There is also a market for it in neighbouring Kenya, where they contract directly with our farmers. We use Taurus and Cayman as crisps varieties. A Dutch company has invested in a fries factory that also buys directly from farmers. Such contracts give farmers financial security."

Are there enough seed potatoes available?

"Farmers are asking for more seed potatoes than are currently available. HZPC is working with four seed potato companies to increase productivity and availability. Sales are buoyant so there is plenty of scope for seed potato producers to invest and make seed potato production in Tanzania more sustainable."

Are you glad you met Feico 5 years ago?

"Definitely, I am extremely proud of what we are doing here. We inspire farmers to improve potato cultivation and try to motivate and enthuse people throughout the chain, particularly with respect to new varieties. Through the steps we have taken, we are improving the lives of these farmers. We also see communities becoming closer. Thanks to the training, they can share their knowledge, experiences and successes with each other. We are really making an impact. That's what Royal HZPC Group B.V. means for Tanzania."