Aviko’s Dick Zelhorst Takes the Chair at Dutch Potato Processors’ Association VAVI

The board of VAVI, the Dutch Potato Processing Association, has appointed Dick Zelhorst as chairman, succeeding Stephan van Kuik, PotatoPro reported on 1 November. Zelhorst is Chief Agro & Supply Chain Officer at Aviko. He takes over as a far smaller north-west European crop tightens raw material supply while processors weigh weaker demand and overcapacity.

A supply chain executive at the top

Zelhorst will work with the board and with director Marieke Hoste, and his focus areas include raw material supply, sustainability and the international market. PotatoPro describes Aviko as one of the four largest potato processors in the world and the European market leader in fresh, frozen and dried potato products.

“The potato chain in Europe and in particular in the Netherlands is facing enormous challenges,” Zelhorst said. He also stressed that the processing industry must stay competitive and take on social responsibility for making the chain more sustainable.

A small crop, and firmer prices

The raw material question is immediate. The North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) put 2026 ware production in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands at about 20.7 million tonnes in its 14 September assessment, down 25.4% from 2025. The figures are preliminary and exclude seed and starch potatoes. NEPG warned that some growers, particularly in Belgium and France, may struggle to deliver contracted tonnages, and asked buyers to reconsider expectations for tuber size and length, according to Potato News Today.

Free-market quotations have since moved up. According to CMB News, PotatoNL’s Regular quotation stood at EUR 22.00 per 100 kilograms on 26 October, up EUR 0.75, while Export rose EUR 2.00 to EUR 27.00. In Belgium, the PCA quotation for Fontane and Challenger was unchanged at EUR 21.25 on 27 October. In France, RNM’s Fontane was unchanged at EUR 21.00, while Innovator gained EUR 1.00 to EUR 23.00.

Contracts tell a different story. In a FreshPlaza analysis on 2 October, Domenico Citterio of Italy’s Domenico Citterio e C. cited DCA Market Intelligence figures showing 2026 contract prices about 25% lower for early deliveries and 15–17% lower for later ones than in 2025. Separately, CMB News reported that contract volumes for 2026 were signed 15–25% below last year’s levels.

Processors rethink investment

Demand is the other side of the balance. PotatoPro, citing Welt, reported on 28 October that McCain Foods has paused its planned French fry factory at Mehrum on the Mittelland Canal in Lower Saxony, a project expected to bring a billion-euro investment and hundreds of jobs. McCain cited a significant rise in project costs, overcapacity in processed potato products and weaker demand in key European markets. It said it would not pursue the investment “in its current form at this time”. The state government called the decision “very regrettable”.

Stocks and costs also shape buying. A Potato News Today report carried by FreshPlaza on 28 October said stocks of fries, starch and dehydrated products continue to influence processor purchasing decisions, and that storage costs, electricity, financing and quality losses weigh on growers deciding whether to delay sales.

What this means for farms and the market

• Growers: the gap between free-market and contract prices makes it important to know exactly which tonnes are committed; delivery shortfalls and size specifications are worth raising with buyers early.
• Processors: a supply chain executive in VAVI’s chair points to raw material as a priority, though no specific programme has been announced.
• Storage: whether to hold or sell depends on costs and quality as well as price; general practice is to check stores regularly and agree decisions on quality with an agronomist.

Sources: PotatoPro (VAVI appointment, 1 November; McCain, 28 October); Potato News Today; CMB News; FreshPlaza.