“Agriculture is the foundation of our business model – without potatoes there is no production and no Emsland Group. It is in our own interest to ensure that our farmers, who are at the same time owners of our company, are given a sustainable or long-term outlook with regard to potato cultivation. Agriculture faces major challenges in many areas. Our job is to be a reliable partner for farmers during these difficult and challenging times by offering attractive procurement conditions. In addition to the financial aspect, we also focus on supporting and advising our farmers; variety selection, cultivation consulting and storage are further elements of successful collaborative endeavors.”
GROWING THROUGH COOPERATION
Raw material security, soil health and climate-resistant crops are our big issues for the future. We rely on the cooperative and joint exchange of knowledge to help shape sustainable agriculture. The producers and suppliers of our raw materials are also the shareholders and owners of the Emsland Group. Growers are interested in long-term raw material cultivation – and we depend on a sustainable and sufficient supply of raw materials. Therefore, our goal is to enable the marketing of natural raw materials at optimal conditions, to develop sustainable products for our customers and to achieve a satisfactory return on our investment. Moreover, our proximity to our contract farmers allows us to build trusting and long-term relationships for the benefit of the ecosystems that we use and the regional communities that we support.
Kurs auf zukunftsfähige Bodenfrüchte
Im Mittelpunkt unseres Prozesses zur Beschaffung von Qualitätsrohstoffen steht die Zusammenarbeit mit unseren Lieferanten und Forschungseinrichtungen für die Kartoffelaussaat und die Saatgutvermehrung. Wir helfen bei der Entwicklung von Strategien, die den einzigartigen Anbaubedürfnissen jeder Kartoffelvariante gerecht werden. Wir testen neue Sorten, um nicht nur die Qualität und den Ertrag zu verbessern, sondern konzentrieren uns auch auf Krankheitsresistenz, Klimaresistenz (z. B. gegen Hitze und Trockenheit) und auf Sorten mit geringem Aufwand für einen nachhaltigen Anbau.
SEED POTATO SUPPLY
The quality of the potatoes is of high importance if they are to be further processed. There is also increasing market demand for varieties of potato that are resistant to certain diseases.
Therefore, the Emsland Group has begun to develop seed potatoes. In our own series of tests, our experts try to find varieties that demonstrate disease resistance, whereby the most successful varieties will be included in the portfolio. The focus is to find those varieties that are resistant to certain diseases. Good yields in connection with low sugar levels during storage are other important elements of the successful cultivation of seed potatoes We already supply a large part of the required seed potatoes.
Genetically modified plants are prohibited in Germany and we do not use them because we do not believe they are beneficial for us.
It is necessary to learn about new findings and trends in the agricultural sector in order to manage monoculture farming in such a way that it keeps the ecosystems intact for the long term. In this area, the Emsland Group cooperates with research institutes, for example with the HLB (research and consultancy in agriculture) in the Netherlands, which specialize in crop protection, pest management and soil health.
THE POWERFUL PEA PLANT
The cultivation of legumes has numerous positive effects on soil health. Legumes have special properties and form an important building block of sustainable agriculture when used as part of crop rotation. In the subsequent stages of production, the pea, for example, can be wholly and completely utilized. This closes loops and conserves resources. Interested in becoming a supplier? Contact us
