N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 20 POTATO GROWER A Variety From Hybrid Potato Seed by Willem Schrage In many countries where vegetable seeds are imported there is a lack of supply of quality seed potatoes. This may be due to logistics, lack of good infrastructure, high disease pressure and/or different time of planting. Exporters of vegetable seeds have been asked whether true seed of potatoes can be included in their shipments of vegetable seeds. Bejo (Bejo Zaden B.V. in the Netherlands) has reacted to such requests by developing a more sta- ble and uniform variety from true seed than is generally accomplished while making crosses. Bejo is a com- pany active in breeding, production, processing, and sales of vegetable seeds. It has more than 100 years experience and an assortment of more than 1,000 different varieties of around 50 crops. It offers materi- al suitable for different markets in different climate zones. There are more than 1,100 employees. Bejo Seeds Inc, USA. is a subsidiary of Bejo with their U.S. headquarters in Oceano, California, with a staff of 57. Their territory comprises the United States and Canada. They produce vegetable seed in vegetable producing regions throughout the U.S. Bejo USA does customer sup- port, sales, marketing, breeding, and seed production. Bejo Zaden B.V. in Warmenhuizen, Netherlands was hosting its annual “Open House Days” at the end of September when delegates of the UNECE Seed Potato Section visited Rien van Bruchum, crop manager of Bejo shows the new hybrid variety, Oliver, to delegates of the Seed Potato Section of the UNECE, meeting in the Netherlands.