Potato News

Farther Farms’ mission: Using french fries to make the food system more sustainable

At its facility in the former Eastman Kodak campus in Rochester, New York, Farther Farms makes fresh potatoes into fries, treats them with supercritical carbon dioxide, and packages them. The packages can travel wherever they need to go without refrigeration, and the fries are ready for the fryer, reports Megan Poinski in an in-depth article for FoodDive.
11/16/2021

US potato market conditions elevated compared with a year ago

Market conditions for potatoes in the US were running above year-ago levels in late October and early November, according to a report by Tom Karst for The Packer. Dick Thomas, senior vice president of sales for Potandon Produce, Idaho Falls, Idaho, reported a very firm market for potatoes in early November, with supplies shorter than normal because of lower yields this season.
11/13/2021

All vines and no taters? A potato grower’s frustration

It takes leaves to make a potato crop, and maximum yields are achieved when potato plants cover the ground as rapidly as possible. This ensures plants capture the greatest amount of solar energy, writes Carrie Huffman Wohleb in this Growing Produce article. But you must strike the right balance between leaf and tuber growth, she says.
11/13/2021

Walkers crisps shortage could last until end of month after IT glitch

British shoppers may face shortages of some of their favourite crisps until the end of the month after a botched computer upgrade disrupted the world’s biggest crisp factory, according to a news report by The Guardian. “A recent IT system upgrade has disrupted the supply of some of our products. Our sites are still making crisps and snacks but at a reduced scale,” a Walkers spokesperson said.
11/13/2021

‘Towards the Smart Factory of the Future’: Kiremko and Insort announce global strategic partnership

Kiremko and Insort announced today that they have entered into a long term global strategic partnership. In this partnership Insort will provide sorting and sensor expertise and equipment based on Chemical Imaging Technology. Kiremko will develop advanced process controls, utilizing inline data provided by Insort.
11/13/2021

Agristo invests in two more PEF systems from Pulsemaster

Pulsemaster, the leading provider of Pulsed Electric Field systems for potato processing, announces that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of two 100 kW Pulsed Electric Field systems to Agristo, a major producer of high quality French fries and potato specialities. Mark de Boevere, Managing director of Pulsemaster says: “We are extremely pleased that a European customer with very high standards and a global reputation has agreed to purchase their third and fourth Pulsemaster PEF-systems.”
11/13/2021

INTERPOM finally brings the European potato chain together again

After a year of postponement, the next INTERPOM event will finally take place on Sunday 28, Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 November 2021 in Kortrijk Xpo (B). This event will be an exceptional one, with the appropriate theme being ‘Let’s reconnect the potato chain’! So come and meet colleagues and suppliers to discuss this very eventful period for the sector, and to discover a selection of innovative solutions that will help you tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
11/13/2021

Spain’s Patatas Melendez selected Wyma to deliver best potato facility in the industry

Spain’s leading potato company Patatas Melendez has selected Wyma Europe as its primary partner to design and manufacture what will be one of the most innovative, quality focused and efficient potato processing facilities globally.
11/13/2021

Dewulf launches state-of-the-art configurator for its machines

Dewulf, a full-liner in machines for the cultivation of potatoes and root crops, proudly presents its brand new online configurator. As of today, it is possible to effortlessly configure your ideal machine, the company says in a press release. Those who visited the virtual trade fair booth “Dewulf Xpo” were able to get a first impression of what was to come.
11/13/2021

Export of Prince Edward Island seed potatoes to U.S. shut down after potato wart discovered

The U.S. border has closed to Prince Edward Island seed potatoes after potato wart was again found in two P.E.I. fields, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed late Friday. As Sara Fraser reports for CBC News, the CFIA confirmed potato wart in fields on two separate farms on Oct. 1 and Oct. 14 after growers submitted “suspect potatoes,” the agency said in an email response to a CBC inquiry.
11/13/2021

Potato innovations in the fight against hunger and climate change at HZPC’s Potato Days 2021

The Potato Days of HZPC are dedicated to the future of the potato. A future in which the potato provides an important contribution to the food security in the world and helps to combat climate change. HZPC wants to join this challenge by using more sustainable potato varieties and hybrid potato breeding; a new form of breeding in which potatoes can also be grown from seeds. The results were shown and could be tasted during the Potato Days in the Research Centre of HZPC in Metslawier.
11/7/2021

Export of Prince Edward Island seed potatoes to U.S. shut down after potato wart discovered

Is this the largest potato in the world?

Colin and Donna Craig-Brown were having a bit of a cleanup in their vegetable garden in late August, to get ready for their usual flurry of spring planting. So he dug around it with a fork until he dug up the large root vegetable – which he realised, after poking it with the garden fork and tasting it, was a potato.
11/7/2021

Opinion: Idaho potato harvest results are in

Scott Schuette reports for The Packer that as for yield estimates of this year’s Idaho crop, the harvest is showing mixed results from region to region. Growers farming the western regions of the state endured much warmer weather that was often shadowed by smoke-covered skies. Growers from eastern regions of Idaho are reporting better yield results that should measure up to the volume and tonnage of 2020.
11/2/2021

Calbee to raise prices of potato chips on hot weather, low rainfall

As Erica Yokoyama reports for Bloomberg News, Japanese snack company Calbee Inc. will raise the price of some of its potato chip products by between 7% and 10%, citing a decreased potato harvest in the northern agriculture-heavy island of Hokkaido due to hot weather and low rainfall.
11/2/2021

Restrain company to showcase its sprout inhibitor system at Potato Expo event

Restrain announced recently that the company will exhibit its ethylene gas system at the upcoming Potato Expo event in California, January 5 – 6, 2022. Restrain uses natural ethylene gas which keeps potatoes dormant and controls sprouting. “Using ethylene gas means growers won’t leave any residue in their crop or storage facility, allowing them to deliver potatoes which can be used immediately after storage for processing,” says Dirk Garos, Global Sales Director at Restrain.
11/2/2021

The ‘potato custodians’ in the Andes who are safeguarding this crop’s future

In the Peruvian Andes, “potato custodians” are preserving hundreds of varieties of our humble tuber. In this CNN video, aired a couple of days ago, you will meet one of the hundreds of Latin American “custodians” of indigenous potato varieties. There are about 4,000 native potato varieties in the world, and most of them are grown in the Andes. Only a handful are available in supermarkets around the world.
11/2/2021

Waitrose to sell potato milk as demand for plant-based options grows

Britons already eat potatoes boiled, baked, roasted and mashed but now the humble spud is being milked for all its worth, with potato milk set to be the next big thing, according to a report by The Guardian. Alice Shrubsall, alternative milk buyer at Waitrose, said the retailer was planning to expand its alt-milk range to include potato milk.
11/2/2021

Wada Farms, The Produce Moms launch cobranded potato package

Wada Farms, one of America’s largest grower-shippers-marketers of fresh potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes for retail buyers and the food distribution industries and The Produce Moms, a leading digital influencer of all things fruits and vegetables, have moved their long-time partnership onto the retail shelf with a new co-branded potato package.
11/2/2021

HZPC’s Potato Days Live broadcast to ‘inspire the sector to make sustainable choices’

The potato sector has the ability to significantly contribute to a sustainable food supply worldwide. HZPC will therefore broadcast an inspiring programme on 3 November during Potato Days 2021 Live, with themes like hybrid breeding, the transformation of food systems and the Netherlands as breeding ground for seed potatoes.
10/22/2021

Double L Global promotes Byron Duffin to President

Double L Global (Manufacturing), is pleased to announce the promotion of Byron Duffin to Brand President. Grant Flaharty, CEO of Double L stated, “Byron’s involvement with Double L has helped to rebuild and strengthen the Double L Brand and company. He brings with him three core strengths: a deep background in our industry, strong manufacturing experience and a great tenure in leading people.”
10/22/2021

‘Meaty spuds’: Hormel Foods to partner with The Better Meat Co. using potato-based mycoprotein

Hormel Foods Corporation recently announced its venturing company, 199 Ventures, has entered into an exclusive partnership with The Better Meat Co. to bring new mycoprotein and plant-based protein products to the marketplace. Its product Rhiza is produced via a potato-based fermentation pioneered by The Better Meat Co.
10/22/2021

Alberta Potato Conference cancelled

The Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) recently announced that they have made the tough decision to cancel the upcoming Alberta Potato Conference and Tradeshow. It was to be held on November 22nd – 24th in Red Deer. The PGA said in a memo: “Like many other events that are being cancelled, we have made this decision in the best interest of our growers, their families, our industry associates and for everyone that is involved in the undertaking of this event.”
10/22/2021

Maine’s bountiful potato crop: Farmers need airplane hangars to store it

After nearly three decades of vacancy, the warehouses and airplane hangars of the former Loring Air Force Base in Maine have acquired new tenants — millions of freshly harvested Aroostook County potatoes. While the yield is largely good news, the sheer size of the 2021 harvest is creating new problems for some farmers, who now need to find and then adapt to makeshift storage facilities that aren’t built to preserve the quality of the potatoes.
10/22/2021

Orange oil potato sprout suppressant could help fill CIPC gap

An orange oil product that prevents sprouting in stored potatoes will be available for winter storage to help fill the gap left by the banning of the once widely used chlorpropham (CIPC). The new product, called Argos, comes from agrochemicals group UPL and is made from a natural substance, d-limonene (terpene), which is extracted from orange peel.
10/22/2021

‘Spud locked’: Kwik Lok introduces the first sustainable closure in Japan

Kwik Lok Corp, the global leader in package closures, today announced the availability of Eco-Lok, the first sustainable closure in Japan. Eco-Lok’s biomass material, NuPlastiQ, is a proprietary technology from BioLogiQ which converts plant-based carbohydrates, including potatoes, to a plant-based resin. Eco-Lok’s biomass material, NuPlastiQ®, is a proprietary technology from BioLogiQ which converts plant-based carbohydrates, including potatoes, to a plant-based resin.
10/20/2021

I-Feeder Technologies: Serving the need for precision irrigation solutions

I-Feeder Technologies, a leader in state-of-the-art dosing systems, has grown to serve the need for integrated precision irrigation technologies in terms of software and hardware solutions. The I-Feeder fertigation system is supplied as a turnkey operational system, meaning no additional sourcing is required and ensures correct installation, designed to be easy and simple.
10/19/2021

New Ag Director at McCain GB to take overall responsibility for potatoes

McCain Foods (GB) recently announced the appointment of James Young, who will be joining the UK senior leadership team as Agriculture Director. In his new role, he will take overall responsibility for McCain’s crucial raw material – potatoes. Young will also continue to develop McCain’s strong relationship with its 250 strong grower community and enhance the integration from field to factory, as well as leading the brand’s sustainable farming efforts.
10/19/2021

Idaho Steel nominated for ‘Coolest Thing Made in Idaho’ honor

Idaho Steel is excited to participate the 2021 ‘Coolest Thing Made in Idaho’ Campaign. In celebration of National Manufacturing Day and Idaho Manufacturing Month in October, the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance (IMA) is presenting a virtual campaign to spotlight some of the great manufacturers in the state. Idaho Steel has been nominated for the Nex-Gem Rotary Former.
10/18/2021

KFC in Japan suspends sale of fries due to import problems

Japan KFC Holdings announced on October 8 that Kentucky French fries and other potato products are temporarily suspended for sale. KFC says in the notice: “Currently, imports of goods are delayed due to the disruption of the global distribution network due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection. Therefore, ‘potato’ may be temporarily suspended at some stores.”
10/18/2021

Philippine potato project supports growers with Canadian seed and training

A project run by Universal Robina Corp (URC) and the Philippine government has provided a valuable boost to the country’s potato growers during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2018 URC partnered with the government to launch the Sustainable Potato Programme to provide growers with quality potato seed, training and research.
10/15/2021

‘Basics of irrigation’ the theme of next World Potato Congress webinar

The World Potato Congress is pleased to announce the resumption of its webinar series. Its first Fall webinar will feature a presentation by Yechiam Gets, Crop Model Agronomist with Netafim. It is scheduled for November 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard time (USA/Canada). The presentation is titled “Basics of irrigation for processing potatoes and irrigation scheduling”.
10/15/2021

Ireland has its first dedicated potato supplier to chippers

Meadowfresh Foods in Tallow, Co. Waterford and O’Shea Farms/Iverk Produce, based in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, have joined forces to become Ireland’s first dedicated fresh chipping potato packer and distributor. Over the past two years, they have engaged with Bord Bia, Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Irish Farmers Association to support the chipping potato project. They have now proceeded to grow specific crops for the Irish chip shop channel.
10/13/2021

Lamb Weston’s top and bottom lines heading in different directions

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.’s top and bottom lines headed in different directions during the first quarter of fiscal 2022. Sales rose 13% as foodservice and institutional businesses recovered around the world, but the company’s net income fell 67% for the quarter. “In the US, we continue to be encouraged by the pace of recovery in restaurant traffic and demand for fries,” Thomas P. Werner, president and chief executive officer said.
10/13/2021

Tong talks automation and optical sorting at British Potato show

Tong Engineering, a leading potato and vegetable handling equipment manufacturer, and sponsor of the BP2021 British Potato exhibition will be showcasing equipment advances from field to pack, as well as the latest technologies in automation and optical sorting, at the UK’s largest biannual potato event in November.
10/13/2021

Potatoes in eastern Canada faring well, the west sees yield impact of excessive heat

Potato harvest is well underway in Canada, with varying results from a near-record harvest to too-short in supply. “Moving from east to west, the season is always later. We have more time in the east to allow the crop to get harvested before winter sets in, in a normal year,” says Kevin MacIsaac, of United Potato Growers of Canada. After three years of below average crops in the area due to warm, dry conditions, a good quality crop is welcome for farmers on the East Coast.
10/13/2021

It’s shaping up to be a banner year for Maine potatoes

Like a good poker player, Don Flannery, president of the Maine Potato Board, is playing it close to the vest in terms of this year’s potato harvest. He’s not about to call it a record year — yet. But with about 80 percent of this season’s potatoes out of the ground, the longtime industry expert said yields are shaping up to be above average.
10/13/2021

HZPC reports on positives after challenging corona year

HZPC realised that the financial year 2020/2021 would be difficult. Last year, the potato distributor was operating in a global economic recession. With enormous consequences for both multiple corporate sectors and for HZPC. However, there are always positives. Even now. “We have seen a rise in volume sales, we are proud to have started the Connective Growers programme and we are delighted with the efforts made to realise a competitive price for our growers,” says HZPC CEO, Gerard Backx.
10/11/2021

Essential tips for successful long-term potato storage

Bayer Crop Science in the UK posted an article on their blog earlier this week related to potato storage good practices. The article focuses on five main considerations for growers, saying that there is more to the long-term storage of potatoes than sprout suppressants. These considerations include store hygiene, box stacking, air movement, store intake and tuber diseases.
10/11/2021

‘Between a rock and a hard place’: Is transporting tare picking your pocket?

Ask any potato producer where rocks belong and they’ll vehemently tell you: “Not in my field.” The cost of machinery, fuel and man-hours today mean driving tare to and from your yard doesn’t make sense. Industry has responded: mobile potato cleaning equipment now allows you to clean potatoes right in the field.
10/10/2021

‘Root Zero’: Carbon neutral potatoes from Puffin Produce a UK first

The home of the much-loved Pembrokeshire potato has added a new iconic product to supermarket shelves with the launch of the UK’s first carbon neutral potato. ‘Root Zero’ planet friendly potatoes are grown in Pembrokeshire by Puffin Produce. The spuds are certified carbon neutral and grown using sustainable farming practices to remove carbon dioxide, create healthy soil and increase local biodiversity.
10/10/2021

Packaging: GIC’s continuous motion machines come of age at British Potato show

A British manufacturer of packaging machines will celebrate 18 years of developing continuous motion machines at this year’s British Potato show. Gainsborough Industrial Controls (GIC) are a designer and manufacturer of vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) packaging machine solutions. GIC will be marking the anniversary of its continuous motion machines by displaying its latest GIC3100 model on its stand at the November British Potato show.
10/10/2021

CIPC in the crossfire: Challenges and possible alternatives

A recent paper in the journal Potato Research highlights the chlorpropham (CIPC) ban and the weaknesses and limited sustainability of global and local systems based on synthetically produced substances. But what are the current alternatives to CIPC? This article summarizes the findings of an Agroscope study of alternative sprout inhibitors.
10/9/2021

NASS report: Potatoes sold by Pacific Northwest states valued at $1,82bn

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released a report containing detailed statistics on the value of the 2020 crop sold in Idaho, Oregon and Washington, as well as figures related to total yield, quantity of potatoes used for processing, and more. The final value of Idaho’s 2020 potato crop sold was $912 million, down 5 percent from 2019.
10/9/2021

Haith to launch next generation Rota-tip machine at British Potato 2021

With over 170 machines sold, Haith’s Rota-tip range is the potato industry’s most popular box tippler, and visitors to this year’s British Potato event will be the first to see the next generation of the class-leading machine. The Rota-tip PRO, which has had a patent application granted, will take centre stage on Haith’s stand on 24 and 25 November.
10/5/2021

U.S. potato sales strong in marketing year ‘unlike any other ever experienced’

The marketing year that ended in June 2021 was unlike any year the potato industry has ever experienced, says Potatoes USA in a news release issued today. “With pandemic restrictions ebbing and flowing from June 2020 to July 2021, sales at foodservice fluctuated while retail purchases remained extremely strong throughout the year,” the industry body says.
10/5/2021

Deprez’ Maestro XL+S: A unique mobile machine for handling large potato bins

Potato storage in bins offer 100% traceability and are finding more and more advantages for various reasons, resulting in an increasing demand for 2 tonne bins, according to Kristof Vanderhaeghe, sales engineer at Belgium based equipment specialist company Deprez Handling Solutions. Kristof says that Deprez’ Maestro XL+S machine, with a capacity of up to 125 t/h handles potatoes exceptionally gentle, reduces the bin movements by up to 84%.
10/5/2021

GRIMME UK promising a British Potato Show to remember

Visitors to this year’s British Potato Show are expected to make a b-line for GRIMME UK’s renowned hospitality (and to find out about the latest innovations in machinery!) As well as having members of its own sales team on-stand, the Gold sponsor will also be joined by sales engineers from Haith Group as part of the two companies strategic working agreement.
10/5/2021

HZPC’s new online potato calculator offers potato specialists tailor-made variety choices

HZPC customers are the experts of their own environment. They know which circumstances they are dealing with and which potato characteristics are. HZPC developed an online tool with which customers can easily convert their knowledge and experience into tailor-made solutions – a digital calculator that finds the potato variety that gives the highest yield: the new Even Greener tool.
9/30/2021

AsiaBlight Network takes its expertise to the field

In response to the late blight disease of potatoes, the AsiaBlight Network formed a coalition of farmers, scientists, and government officials to develop an integrated approach to managing, and eventually eradicating, late blight disease with an aim to improve nutrition and food security for billions throughout Asia. Thanks to a massive collaborative research effort, AsiaBlight has developed an evidence-based four-pronged approach to controlling late blight disease.
9/30/2021