As announced in September 2015, the seed company Florimond Desprez has acquired Germicopa, French leader in seed potatoes and world leader in firm-fleshed potato varieties. Germicopa, which is based in Quimper, Finistère, employs 65 people and has a turnover of 38 million Euro. Every year, the company produces 80,000 tonnes of potatoes under contract with 170 growers in their production units located in Brittany and in Nord Pas-de-Calais. The research centre in Châteauneuf-du-Faou, Finistère, allows Germicopa to offer a range of 50 varieties for all levels of trade: consumption (early, fresh, conservation), processing (crisps, chips, mashed), industry (starches), orchard or export. Half of the production is exported to 55 countries. Germicopa’s varietal marketing is intended to meet the new needs of firm-fleshed potato consumers, especially with varieties like the Charlotte and, more recently, with the Princesse Amandin in France, as well as with the Daifla, Yona and Gwene in Spain. Source: Agronews Castilla León