Product managers are responsible for introducing new varieties and are the technical point of contact for the customers. In essence, we are the link between the breeder and the potato sales person; we focus on turning the customers’ specific requirements into a new variety.

When we start working on a new variety, it is just a number for the breeding company. As a product manager, you have to turn that number into a variety. But, it can take several years before the variety is introduced to the market and you may have to deal with various disappointments because, over the course of the development process, plenty of (potential) potatoes end up being rejected. However, I would prefer one good variety over two or three average ones.

At home, I have an arable farm with 40 hectares of seed potatoes. I have always grown for HZPC and now also grow for STET. Seed potato growing is a precise process. You put something in the ground that you know will create a new life. You have to work with top quality basic material. As a grower, I find myself at the beginning of the chain and, as a product manager, I talk to customers at the end of the chain. This makes my work really special.
 

The most fulfilling aspect is introducing varieties to the market. But we don’t do this alone. We need a modern breeding company to support us, with whom we also discuss customer requirements. These requirements must be realistic in terms of growing processes. During growing trials, we therefore seek out the right balance between all the links in the chain. This can be quite tricky because on occasion you may have to eliminate great characteristics too. But you have to be bold because the product has to be a good all-rounder.