Spain: The Basque Government has launched the Potato Plan, with strong support from the sector.

The Basque Government has unveiled the ’Potato Plan’ and the ’Potato R&D&I Plan’ within the framework of the "5th AKIS Forum", before representatives of all links in the value chain, in a day that has had a wide presence and support from the entire sector.

The meeting, held this morning at the Arkaute Campus (Álava), brought together producers, cooperatives, companies, technical staff and institutional representatives in a participatory format that allowed the main strategic lines of the plan to be explained, while proposals were collected and priorities were compared directly with the agents involved.

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During the session, the Basque Government’s Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture, and Fisheries, Amaia Barredo, emphasized the "commitment, knowledge, and willingness to move forward together." She added, "The ’Potato Plan’ is designed to be permanent and continuously improved, incorporating the perspectives of those who work the crop every day."

The conference analyzed the key challenges facing seed potatoes in the Historical Territory of Álava, including the reduction in area in recent decades, phytosanitary pressure, and dependence on imported seed stock, as well as the opportunities to consolidate the territory’s position as a benchmark in the production of certified quality seed.

The plan outlines a roadmap focused on promoting knowledge, strengthening investments, and revitalizing the sector, with the aim of "increasing the area of ​​seed potatoes, improving their profitability, and boosting the development of native varieties adapted to the agro-climatic conditions of the Basque Country."

In this context, Neiker’s role as a driving force in applied research and genetic improvement has been highlighted, working in a coordinated manner with cooperatives and producer entities.

The roundtable discussion organized within the “5th AKIS Forum” facilitated the exchange of perspectives from different points along the value chain and highlighted the need for close coordination between production, research, and marketing. The final session dedicated to feedback reinforced the open nature of the process and the intention to continue incorporating improvements into the plan’s implementation.

“LISTEN TO THE SECTOR”

Barredo emphasized that “the true value of this forum has been listening.” “The Department is committed to continuing to work alongside the sector, adapting the tools to the realities of farms, and consolidating a strategy that guarantees a future, profitability, and stability for seed potatoes in Araba,” he stated.

With this event, the Basque Government opens a new stage in the development of the plan, characterized by active collaboration with the sector and by a permanent evaluation of the measures, in order to ensure their effectiveness and their impact on the rural environment.