Top'Pom celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, Antoine Geysels, the company's director, looks back at the company's history, from its beginnings to its current projects. He also takes a look at production, the market and the campaign outlook for the coming weeks.
Top'Pom.
"The best sales performance since the company was founded"
"Top'Pom was born out of the common desire of producers in the Arcis-sur-Aube basin to pool their production in order to have a greater impact on the market and optimise the value of their products," explains Antoine. While the group started out in 2004 with 700 hectares of land, it is now approaching 1,000 hectares. But Top'Pom does not confine itself to production alone, since it has also been involved in trading from the very beginning. "For some years now, the trading business has been accounting for the bulk of the volumes sold by the sales team."
In order to mark its 20th anniversary, Top'Pom has achieved "the best sales figures since it was founded. The company's aim is to promote French potatoes through long-term partnerships with both French and European clients. We sold a record volume this year, up 20% from the previous season, thanks to strengthened relationships with all our partners." The volumes marketed from Champagne-Ardenne, Beauce and Hauts-de-France have increased sharply.
Will production be higher this year?
Although it is still too early to have a clear view of the market, the company is "observing a good state of vegetation for potatoes in general in the various French production basins, with tuberisation that is higher than last year. This suggests that production is set to increase." But Antoine warns that "we should still think about the late-planted areas, where the results have been very disappointing so far in France and other NEPG countries. There is also continuing pressure from mildew, favoured by the weather conditions."
"High prices, but consistent with the context
With the new season just getting underway (first availability of potatoes in Beauce), the demand is already high, while supply is limited. "This situation means that we can start the season with high prices, which are still in line with the context. Prices should fall, as they do every year, as grubbing-up intensifies over the coming weeks."
On the export front, Antoine reports "active" demand from Spain and Italy, "which will normally be buying from France as soon as potatoes are available in sufficient quantities."
Developing the processing niche
Top'Pom aims to develop its market share, "by diversifying the types of potatoes marketed through the development of the processing niche, which is growing annually," explains Antoine. If the sector prospers, the fresh market will face "a slow but steady erosion in consumption."
*At the beginning of the month, the UNPT and CNIPT organisations reported "strong growth in the French and European industrial demand for the 3rd year in a row."
For more information:
Antoine Geysels
Top'Pom
Z.I. Villette 10700
Arcis-sur-Aube
Phone: +33 3 25 37 12 16
[email protected]
www.top-pom.fr