Potato farmer Astrid is angry, and this is why:
It is no longer a secret that Dutch supermarkets source some of their products from other countries. Fruit, for example, mainly comes from Southern European countries, while vegetables often come from Africa. In some supermarkets, even the potatoes come from abroad. And that last point is something potato farmer Astrid is rather upset about.
Due to the coronavirus crisis, almost a billion kilos of potatoes are currently going to waste in the Netherlands — which is why we were already urged to eat fries more often — largely because they can no longer be exported. But in an interview with NH Nieuws , Astrid says she has been angry for some time about the way things are going in our country. “The barns are full of good-quality potatoes, but farmers are currently receiving 1 cent per kilo, and the potatoes are being used as animal feed instead of being sold as potatoes for fries.”
Enough is enough
Not only is the barn full, Astrid has also had enough: when she heard through her neighbor that the potato shelves at Deen supermarket were empty because the potatoes ‘could not be delivered’, the angry potato farmer decided to take action. She decided to deliver them herself and dumped six thousand kilos of potatoes on the pavement in front of Deen’s head office. “They are now ordering the potatoes from Israel. Consumers are simply being lied to when they say the potatoes are no longer available,” Astrid said.
Looking for solutions
Through her campaign, Astrid hopes to encourage people to buy fewer products from abroad. Deen’s managing director, Leendert van Eck, was, to put it mildly, not happy with the action. “Suddenly, a truckload of potatoes is unloaded at our loading dock. Many entrepreneurs are under pressure at this time, so I understand the anger and frustration, but I do not think this is the appropriate way to draw attention to it.” He said he was willing to look into what could be done about the potato surplus, but only in the form of a constructive conversation.
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