The average starch content of potatoes after a month of production at Avebe is 21.5 percent. That is about 1.5 percent more than the average over the past five years.
The processing of starch potatoes started in mid-August at the Avebe production location in Gasselternijveen. Every week, more than 33,000 tons of potatoes pass through the conveyor belt. Avebe processes the potatoes into starch, which is used, for example, in food as a binding agent for sauces or in chips.
“The potatoes are of very good quality,” says a spokesperson for the potato cooperative. Avebe does emphasize that there are major regional differences. The starch content ranges from under 14 to 26 percent. The spokesperson could not say what the situation is in Drenthe because the starch content ‘depends on all kinds of factors’. It is also difficult to predict what the influence of the dry summer will be.
The arable farmers who are affiliated with Avebe receive 78 euros per ton of potatoes. That is about 20 percent more than last year, when the amount was 65 euros.