It is the Portuguese sweet potato harvest is in full swing at East4Fresh. “Other Mediterranean countries have stopped producing and we’re almost the only one left with high quality products organic as well as conventional sweet potatoes,” Helien Verhagen says.

Helien is the company that has led the organic cultivation of sweet potatoes across Portugal. “In the past few times, our traditional planting has increased each year by 25 however, our greatest growth comes from organic farming,” Helien says.

The current season for sweet potatoes runs from November through June. Organic sweet potatoes are expected to be planted in June and May. “This season we can look towards a successful yield, and in terms of both quantity and quality, with an excellent yield per hectare. Also, the price is excellent and we’ve got all sizes available to our clients.”

“Our benefit is that it lets us provide continuous service. Therefore, we are looking to expand with clients who have the ability to think ahead and don’t wish to become a one-time vendor,” Helien says. “Our largest customers for our organic sweet potatoes are Germany as well as the Netherlands.”

From the beginning of this year, East4Fresh has had its sweet potatoes packaged by Van de Weerd in Lelystad. In the past, the company launched the cardboard packaging of 750 grams for three to four medium sweet potatoes in an e-trays, however, as per Helien the market for containers made from plastic aren’t getting off the ground at the moment. “Organic consumers try to cut down on packaging usage and will more often seek them out packaged in net packages.”

They are typically less as a traditional Easter food According to Helien. “Over the course of this season the population is more inclined to have asparagus with potatoes however, following the Easter weekend sweet potatoes will definitely be a regular feature on the dinner menu.”

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Helien Verhagen

East4Fresh

+31 (0)6 83 24 46 61

helien@east4fresh.nl

www.east4fresh.nl