The European Parliament’s adoption of new legislation on NGT, New Genomic Techniques, marks an important step for European plant breeding, agriculture and food production.
For KMC, it is also an important milestone in the work to develop more robust potato varieties and secure a strong raw material base for the future.
As a farmer-owned company, KMC is built on the potatoes grown and delivered by Danish growers. Every year, KMC receives more than 2 million tonnes of starch potatoes. This is why NGT is not only about new technology. It is also about strengthening the future of the potato as a competitive and resilient crop.
An important step for European plant breeding
With the new legislation, companies, researchers and plant breeders will have clearer framework conditions for using NGT in the development of new plant varieties. For potatoes, this opens new opportunities to develop varieties faster and with greater precision – with traits that may prove essential in the agriculture of the future.
As agriculture must produce more with fewer resources while adapting to a changing climate, the need for stronger and more resilient potato varieties is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, growers are facing high disease pressure and changing access to certain plant protection products.
For KMC, this is particularly relevant in relation to diseases such as potato late blight, which can have a major impact on yield, quality and supply security. More resistant varieties can therefore become an important tool in securing stable and competitive potato production.
“I see the adoption as a crucial step for the future of agriculture. If we are to produce more with fewer resources and deal with climate change, we need to make use of the best technologies available. For potato production, NGT opens new opportunities to develop stronger and more robust varieties in a way we have not previously had access to,” says Jesper Burgaard, CEO of KMC.
Our business begins in the field
For several years, KMC has worked purposefully with research, trials and partnerships within NGT technology in potatoes. This work is an important part of KMC’s long-term ambition to strengthen the raw material base and develop a more robust and sustainable value chain.
The adoption is also important in relation to KMC’s new strategy, Expand the game, where a strong raw material base, more robust potato varieties and a competitive value chain are central to KMC’s ability to develop and expand the business.
When growers gain access to stronger potato varieties with lower risk and a potentially reduced need for plant protection, it strengthens the entire value chain. It improves supply security, supports more stable deliveries and provides a stronger foundation for KMC’s production, product development and growth.
Responsible development of the potato of the future
Although the adoption is an important milestone, new NGT varieties will not be ready tomorrow. Important work still lies ahead in implementation, documentation, field trials and the development of concrete varieties that can work in practice and create real value in the field.
For KMC, NGT is not a shortcut. It is an important tool in developing more robust potatoes, reducing vulnerability in cultivation and strengthening both sustainability and business – and it must be used responsibly and transparently.
With the new EU framework in place, KMC can continue and intensify its work with research, trials and the development of more resistant potato varieties – with a clear ambition to have the first NGT potatoes in the field in 2029.
For KMC, the European Parliament’s adoption is therefore a significant step in the right direction: for the growers, for KMC and for the potato of the future.