Belgians asked to 'eat more potatoes'

Belgians are well known for their love of french fries, or "pommes frites," topped with plenty of mayonnaise.

In March, the Belgian government spared french fry vendors from its order to lockdown schools, bars and all cultural and sporting facilities. However, potato farmers hit by the COVID-19 crisis have claimed that their livelihoods are at stake despite the state’s efforts.

Belgapom, the association for the Belgian potato trade and processing industry, noted that some 750,000 tons of potatoes are piled up in warehouses due to a plunge in exports.

Romain Cools, secretary-general of Belgapom, urged Belgians to "eat french fries twice a week."

In the past few months, Koreans have rallied to support local farmers by purchasing groceries from online stores.

Gangwon Province Gov. Choi Moon-soon is known as the "governor who sells potatoes." Demand soared when Choi posted a deal to sell a 10-kilogram box of potatoes for just 5,000 won ($4.10).

Further plans on how Belgium will cope with the potato surplus are yet to be announced. 

By Lee Jong-min (ljmclaire@heraldcorp.com)