Its name already recalls a certain Italian character: Siena. It is a new potato variety, with a cycle of 90 days, very early, in its third year of trial in the red soils of the province of Lecce, in Apulia. An exclusive collaboration is born between the owner of the variety, the Dutch company The Potato Company (TPC), and the Apulian company RO.GR.AN for the Italian market.
Greenhouses of Siena potatoes (Image provided by RO.GR.AN)
"The collaboration with RO.GR.AN started because the Apulian company was looking for new varieties to produce and market that would better meet current market needs. The Siena potato has been developed in recent years with the Italian market as its destination. Hence its name," explains Gaby Stet, owner of TPC. "It has a very distinctive taste and is a very delicate potato. It adapts well to the areas in Apulia and the variety is also cultivated in Israel, Egypt, the UK and France.”
Siena potatoes from Israel (Image provided by TPC)
“Siena can withstand hot climates and is a very early cultivar with a very high yield: even 60 tons per hectare can be reached under ideal growing conditions. This can guarantee producers a good income. In Apulia, trials are showing very satisfactory results".
"The Siena potato is very widespread in Europe. It has arrived in Germany, but the United Kingdom is also one of its main markets. It is a very strong variety that also reaches Norway and Denmark because of its organoleptic qualities. It is particularly appreciated by supermarket chains," Stet says.
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Siena potatoes in open field (Image provided by RO.GR.AN)
"We are focusing on varietal innovation that will allow us to consolidate the markets in which we are present and place ourselves on those with growth potential. The partnership with the Dutch company TPC, which produces the seeds of the Siena variety, is yielding results. We are entering the third year of trial in our areas and the results are really satisfactory," says Francesco Romano, manager at RO.GR.AN.
"This year we have invested a lot and we have planted 80 tons of seeds. We hope we can store enough product for the whole next year to satisfy our customers with uniformity and regularity for 12 months. At the beginning of March we should start with the harvest of new potatoes, which will continue until the end of July. The second harvest of the semi-annual product will take place in November-December".
Siena Potatoes (Image provided by RO.GR.AN.)
"The Siena variety is a beautiful potato in appearance but it is also good for all culinary preparations. It has a yellow flesh, with superficial buds, resistant to cooking, excellent for steaming and preparation of salads - continues Romano - As a new potato it is also suitable for the processing in French fries. The future goal is to create a club with a specific brand for all Siena potatoes produced in Italy which will be distributed both in the domestic and foreign markets. The variety adapts well to the Apulian area, in the red soils of the Ionian coasts it shows high yields and interesting organoleptic qualities, but other trials are continuing in other Italian areas, such as Sila (Calabria) or Avezzano (Abruzzo), where we hope to achieve important results both in terms of quality and production yields".
Siena potatoes (Image provided by RO.GR.AN.)
For more information
The Potato Company BV
Franc 68
8305 BS Emmeloord - The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0) 527 630 110
Email: info@tpc.nl
Web: www.tpc.nl/en
Francesco Romano - manager
Mob: +39 335 5374513
Skype: france.rom
RO.GR.AN. Srl
Via Como, 14
73052 Parabita (LE) - Italy
Phone/Fax: +39 0833 595257
Email: rogranitalia@gmail.com