King opens Agrico potato research laboratory in the Netherlands

King Willem-Alexander opened Agrico Research’s new potato laboratory in Bant, Flevoland, on Wednesday, where scientists work on potato varieties resistant to disease while preserving taste and quality.

The king symbolically placed a plastic chip containing potato DNA into a testing device, triggering a video, Nieuws.nl reported. He described the explanation as “very interesting and fascinating”.

Agrico Research looks for ways to address challenges in potato cultivation, including disease and changing rules on pesticides. State Secretary for Agriculture Silvio Erkens, who attended the opening, called the laboratory “the Apple of the potato sector” and said the Netherlands should be prouder of its potato industry.

Agrico Research is a cooperative of businesses and potato growers. It exports to about 90 countries and considers growers’ needs in different parts of the world when developing new varieties.