Netherlands: Used potato machinery as a lower-cost route to extra capacity
Dutch dealer Duijndam Machines, active since 1977, says inspected second-hand planters, harvesters, graders and packing lines let potato businesses add capacity without buying new. Partner content.
Partner content. This article was provided by Duijndam Machines and is published by POTATOES NEWS on a paid basis.
The potato chain faces a constant challenge: more capacity, consistent product quality and efficient processing, while investment in new machinery can run high. For growers and processors, buying entirely new equipment is therefore not always the obvious choice. A well-maintained used machine can be a practical way to add capacity or extend an existing production line.
In the Netherlands, Duijndam Machines has worked in this field since 1977. The company supplies used agricultural and horticultural machinery from the Netherlands to customers around the world.
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From planting and harvesting to grading and packing
Potato production is a long chain in which many machines play a role: planting the crop, lifting the tubers, transport, intake into storage, grading, washing and packing. At each of these steps, used equipment can be a workable solution. Duijndam Machines offers a wide range of machines for potatoes, including planters, harvesters, receiving hoppers, conveyors, graders, box fillers and packing machines.
According to the company, its current potato range runs to hundreds of machines and changes constantly, so both buyers looking for one specific machine and businesses extending a complete line can compare several options.
More capacity does not always mean a new machine
Scale-up has made capacity an ever more important factor in potato growing and processing. Yet more capacity does not automatically mean replacing every machine on a farm. A used receiving hopper, conveyor or grader can, for example, be added to extend an existing line. A machine that makes way for a larger model on one farm can remain valuable for years on another.
This is where the used-machinery market becomes interesting: equipment traded in in the Netherlands because of scale-up can be put back to work elsewhere, in an application it still suits well.
Quality starts with selection
A key difference between a specialised dealer and a general trading platform lies in how machines are selected. Duijndam Machines buys machines itself and inspects them before offering them for sale; it explicitly does not operate as an open marketplace where any owner can list a machine. For buyers, this means the technical condition of the equipment has been assessed in advance.
That matters for potato equipment in particular. Harvesting, transporting and grading potatoes is heavy work, and components such as belts, rollers, chains and drives largely determine how a machine performs.
A broad range makes it easier to combine equipment
With a broad range, each investment does not have to be considered in isolation. A business extending a grading line can look at conveyors, dosing hoppers and other machines needed to keep the product flow efficient alongside the grader itself. At the time of writing, the company had several used potato graders available, plus transport and processing equipment ranging from compact machines to larger solutions for high-throughput operations. The stock is not limited to well-known brands and is replenished regularly.
From the Netherlands to the world
Demand for used potato equipment is not limited to the Dutch market. Because of scale-up, machines regularly become available in the Netherlands that are still technically sound but no longer match the capacity of their original owner. Duijndam Machines specialises in the international trade of such equipment, giving existing machinery a second life in another market.
The right machine starts with the right application
Whether a used machine makes sense depends on the application: required capacity, product type, available space, connections and the rest of the production line all play a part. The key question is not simply whether a machine is an attractive buy, but whether it actually fits the process. For that reason, Duijndam Machines includes personal machine advice in its service.
For potato businesses that want to expand capacity, replace a machine or find a specific machine for growing and processing, the used-equipment market can offer real options. The current range of potato machines from Duijndam Machines is available on the company’s website.
Photo: Duijndam Machines
