First International Potato Symposium held in Madrid with 250 delegates

The first edition brought together representatives from potato production, trade, processing, input suppliers, sector organizations and public institutions, highlighting the importance of dialogue and cooperation across the European potato value chain. The event opened with institutional addresses by Cecilio Peregrín as President of FEPEX, Alejandro Lorca the Deputy Director General for Fruit Vegetables and Viticulture at the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Joaquín Antonio Pino, Regional Minister for Agriculture of Castilla y León.

Rising complexity

Throughout the afternoon, speakers addressed some of the most pressing issues currently facing the European potato sector, including production and market developments, competitiveness, plant health, innovation and sustainability. Peter Ton, President of Europatat, opened the sector presentations with an overview of the challenges facing European potato production and trade. His intervention highlighted the increasing complexity of potato production due to climate change, plant health pressures, water availability and rising costs, as well as the importance of a well-functioning EU Single Market, fair international trade and clear, workable regulatory frameworks.

Plant health issues, joint research programs

Plant health was another central topic of the Symposium. Romans Vorss, technical affairs director at Europatat, discussed current and emerging phytosanitary threats affecting potato production in Europe, stressing the need for early detection, effective prevention and coordinated responses, for instance through European-funded research programmes as PATAFEST and POMATO.

Strong and united

In her closing remarks, Berta Redondo, general director of Europatat, emphasized the importance of working together across the entire potato value chain to address increasingly interconnected challenges. From climate resilience and plant health to market competitiveness, innovation and regulatory developments, she highlighted the need for greater coordination, constructive dialogue and shared solutions.She further stressed the importance of a strong and united European potato sector, capable of anticipating change, identifying common priorities and ensuring that the voice of the potato trade and wider value chain is heard in European policy discussions.

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