INTERPOM / PRIMEURS - International Potato Trade Fair and International Trade Fair for Fruit and Veg 2010

Right from the outset, the organizers opted for a clear focus on the potato sector; the fruit and vegetable sectors were added later. A strategy that has proved to be very successful! Over the years, Interpom | Primeurs has gradually developed into a real top event for professionals in all corners of the potato, fruit and vegetable sector, from growers to processors. It is an event that fires the imagination and mobilizes the whole sector.

Expectations were running high after a very successful edition in 2006 and a record number of 185 exhibitors registered for this year’s event, occupying an exhibition area of 25 000m². And Interpom | Primeurs did not disappoint us, with 6 958 visitors on the Sunday (+ 4.4% compared with the last event), 3 951 visitors on Monday (+ 19.7%) and 2 949 visitors on the closing day (+19.9%). And Interpom | Primeurs 2008 welcomed an amazing 13 858 enthusiastic visitors, 11.5% more than at the last event in 2006 !! A fantastic result in these difficult economic times and proof positive of the resilience and dynamism of the sector !

During Interpom | Primeurs 2008, the winners of the BPQA – Belgian Potato Quality Award – were announced. The winners are Jan Coenegrachts of Riemst and the Cap family of Ernage (Gembloux). For the next two years, they can pride themselves on being the best potato growers in Belgium and were the happy recipients of a cheque for 2 500 EUR. The following growers received an honourable mention and a cheque for 250 EUR: Bart Nemegheer (Tielt), Carlos Van Den Bossche (Kaprijke), Stéphane and Hervé Comijn (Amay), Christophe and Antoine Geeraerts (Fromiée) and Steve Vrancx (Gosselies).

The seminars also attracted large audiences. On Monday, there was an overview of the Belgian potato sector, followed by a round table discussion in which five leading personalities in the potato busine