Year of the Potato underscore importance of Bildts’ potato weeks

SINT JACOBIPAROCHIE – The Northwestern Frisian municipality of Het Bildt has a love affair with the potato, its main renewable commodity. The area, which is ideally suited for growing potatoes, produces approximately ten percent of the total Dutch seed potato export and, as such, play a key role in the international potato industry. Every year, Het Bildt holds its Bildtse Potato Weeks. This year there was an added impetus; the United Nations has proclaimed 2008 as the Year of the Potato. To acknowledge all the attention for its famed crop, the municipal executive held its regular meeting at the barn of a local potato grower, which was followed by a forum with local growers.