HZPC potato seed supplier is barometer for the future

May 11, 2022

HZPC, a Dutch supplier of innovative potato varieties that are optimized for local growing conditions, is the largest seed potato supplier worldwide. As such, its forecast for the current fiscal year provides insights into the global situation.

In a May 5, 2022 news release, the company says, “Despite the fact that the conflict in Ukraine is affecting HZPC’s sales, HZPC is keeping its profit forecast intact after three quarters in the 2021-2022 financial year.” The fiscal year ends June 30, 2022.

Gerard Backx, CEO, HZPC reported: The war in Ukraine has a big influence on the prices of several products and with that the choice of many growers, especially in Europe. After the second quarter, it was clear that potato growers in Europe are somewhat reluctant to plant potatoes for harvest 2022 as a result of the higher prices of other major agricultural products. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, sales of seed potatoes in Europe have been stagnant. Nearly no additional sales have been realized or the additional sales compensating for cancelled orders. In normal years, we always realize a few per cent of the European sales in the months of March and April. Those are missing this year.”

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.