In the heart of the Calenberger Börde, one of Germany's main potato-growing regions, Europlant Pflanzenzucht GmbH has established a new seed potato site in Wunstorf, operational since 2025. The facility combines cultivation, storage, and logistics in one process. For box logistics, including filling, storage, sorting, and packing, Europlant works with VHM Machinery and MUSS Agrartechnik.
At the site, trucks move continuously while boxes are constantly in circulation as operations run day and night. Hannes Ohlmeyer, who works daily with the installation and was involved from the beginning, said the objective was to have the site operational in time for harvest.
"We wanted to be ready for the harvest from day one," he says. "And we made it, thanks in part to VHM."
© VHM Machinery
Europlant supplies seed potatoes to growers in more than 70 countries worldwide. According to Christian Neumair, regional manager for southern Lower Saxony, the choice of location was based on the region's loess soils and proximity to production areas.
"We have excellent loess soils here, ideal for potato cultivation," he explains. "So a location in the heart of the region simply makes sense. Short distances, top quality."
The ambition
The Wunstorf site had to become operational within a short period after Europlant took over an existing facility with a different layout.
"We took over an existing site with a completely different layout," says Neumair. "And still wanted to be ready for the 2025 harvest."
Through MUSS Agrartechnik, Europlant was introduced to VHM's technology. The company aimed to create a system that would provide capacity, structure, and stability while reducing manual handling and maintaining operations during peak periods.
The challenge
According to Neumair, seed potatoes require careful handling and reliable logistics.
"The product is sensitive. The logistics simply have to be 100% right," he explains. Labour shortages also played a role in the decision to automate parts of the process. "Like many companies, we are dealing with staff shortages. That means you have to automate wherever possible." Europlant reviewed several systems before selecting box logistics.
"There are alternatives, such as bunker-based systems. They work fine, but with boxes you simply work more gently and have better control over the process. On top of that, you significantly reduce forklift movements," says Ohlmeyer.
"VHM and MUSS think along with us and respond quickly. That makes the difference," Neumair added.
© VHM Machinery
The solution
At the heart of all processing is VHM Machinery's box logistics system. During harvesting, potatoes are filled into boxes via the BoxFilr from the Fully Automatic Street and efficiently transported to storage two boxes at a time.
During sorting, the Turnr + EvenFlow from the Fully Automatic Street ensures a smooth supply of boxes to the U-Vision sorting line, where the potatoes are graded by size and quality. Depending on size, the sorted product is then returned to the BoxFilr from the Fully Automatic Street and to the four MonoFilrPro units to be refilled into recently emptied boxes. By using the Fully Automatic Street for both filling and emptying, handling of empty boxes is minimized.
"With the intake line running in parallel during the harvest, we achieve a capacity of 80 to 100 tons per hour," says Christian Neumair. "But more importantly, it gives us control and room to operate on busy days."
Packing is also integrated into the system. Sorted batches are routed via the Fully Automatic Turnr + EvenFlow to the appropriate packing line, where they undergo a final quality check before packing. With the BigBagFilrPro, specific batches are filled directly into big bags, while other products are processed into smaller packaging units.
The result
The result is a logistics process designed to reduce forklift movements, manual handling, and interruptions in product flow.
Hannes Ohlmeyer said the system is reliable and easy to operate. "The machines are reliable and, above all, easy to use. New employees quickly understand how it works and can operate independently. That makes the job a lot easier every day." According to Neumair, the cooperation between VHM Machinery and MUSS Agrartechnik was also an important part of the project.
"We built everything here from scratch," says Neumair. "So you know things won't always go perfectly. But VHM and MUSS respond quickly and think along with us. Issues are simply resolved, without hassle. That's how it should be." His conclusion: "This is as gentle as box logistics gets."
© VHM MachineryFor more information:
VHM Machinery
Tel: +31 527 225 000
Email: [email protected]
www.vhm-machinery.com
