Potato News

Final potato harvest update for Canada

Kevin MacIsaac, General Manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada released the final harvest update report this week. In Prince Edward Island, it is said that after a month of very high rainfall, the last suitable day for harvest was November 9th. Many growers dug for 24 hours around the clock until rain came again in the early hours of November 10th. Abnormally cold temperatures dipped to -15 Celsius and two snowstorms since have prevented further progress.
11/24/2018

Worldwide campaign hopes to put potatoes back on menu

A global campaign due to launch next year will harness the marketing budgets of multinational companies and promotional agencies around the world in a bid to halt the downward trend in potato consumption. ‘Imagine a World Without Potatoes’, an industry-led campaign run by the International Potato Centre in Peru, has already attracted the support of potato giants McCain Foods and Pepsico together with Irish, Canadian, Australian, Chinese, Russian, Norwegian and other potato-industry partners.
11/23/2018

Japanese potato growers adopting modern cultivation practices

Nowadays it is becoming rather difficult to find operators to work on potato farms, according to Mariko Kihira in Japan. Mariko writes that Japanese sensitive potato varieties are less harmed by a new way of cultivation of potatoes in that country that is taking place on many farms nowadays.
11/22/2018

A spore trap network to detect potato pathogens

During the summer of 2018, the University of Idaho and industry partners rolled out a spore trap network that uses recent developments in spore sampling technology and molecular diagnostics to detect airborne spores of potato pathogens. These traps detect spores of pathogens that cause late blight, early blight, white mold, brown spot and grey mold. The network is comprised of 14 Burkard multi-vial cyclone spore samplers, which operate continuously for 7 days, automatically changing the sampling vial daily.
11/22/2018

Current trends in the Indian potato market

According to Mr S.K. Gautam, CEO of NR Tradewind Services Pvt Ltd in Delhi, higher consumer prices for potatoes can be expected during the next months in India. Mr Gautam says this trend is confirmed by several market sources and is indicative of the heavy rains and floods across many regions in India during the past growing season.
11/22/2018

Coming to terms with Pythium leak in potatoes

Dr Eugenia Banks, potato specialist and consultant for the Ontario Potato Board in Canada, reports that Pythium leak has been showing its ugly face before harvest in a number of fields this year. She says that symptoms of Pythium leak at the early infection stage are moist gray or brown lesions around wounds or near the stem end of tubers.
11/21/2018

Global Potato News magazine published

The new Global Potato News magazine was launched recently. A print version of the magazine is now being mailed to industry folks around the world. The magazine can be viewed as a pdf file on the website. The magazine is published as a split North American and European edition. For the launch issue, the editorial content is similar for both editions, but for coming issues we will have a slight difference in content, although the focus of the editorial will be on articles and news of interest to a global audience.
11/20/2018

Sonae retail group in Portugal promotes health benefits of potatoes

Potatoes are indispensable in the Portuguese cuisine. They are the basis of traditional dishes. Sonae, leading retailer in that country, has modernized its display of potatoes. The company also promotes how excellent potatoes are in terms of nutrition. The Portuguese gastronomy is rich in dishes and recipes. Potatoes play a major role in the daily meals. They are used in soups, cooked, grilled, baked, mashed or prepared in the oven.
11/19/2018

Frozen french fry industry on the rise in China

Processed potatoes in China account for about 15% of total production and include products such as starch, dehydrated potatoes, chips, and frozen French fries (FFF), according to a report presented by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service – “China – Peoples Republic of Potato and Potato Products Annual Report”.
11/18/2018

Idaho potato industry Grower of the Year awards

Both winners of this year’s Idaho potato industry Grower of the Year awards quickly credit others for any success they’ve had, Capital Press reports. Potato Growers of Idaho selected Fred Brossy, whose family owns Ernie’s Organics near Shoshone, as Potato Grower of the Year. The seed-focused Idaho Crop Improvement Association selected Mike Telford, principal in the multi-location Telford Sun Valley & Lost River Seed, as Potato Seed Grower of the Year.
11/18/2018

Newly designed machines for mechanical potato haulm removal

Mechanical removal of potato foliage prior to harvest is coming into the spotlight nowadays due to fact that some of the most popular chemicals in use for potato vine desiccation is under threat of being banned, or already prohibited in some potato producing countries.
11/16/2018

Belgapom’s Romain Cools responds to European ‘fry war’ with Colombia

The Belgian, Dutch and German potato industries are afraid that it will become increasingly difficult to export frozen fries to the South American market. Colombia has announced that it will charge anti-dumping tariffs on frozen potato products from these three European countries.
11/16/2018

Analysis of 2018 US potato production estimates

The United Potato Growers of Canada released an analysis of the U.S. 2018 potato production estimates on November 14. Kevin MacIsaac, general manager, UPGC, provided the following commentary. NASS estimates 2018 production will be up 3.7 million hundred weight in Idaho.
11/16/2018

HZPC’s Potato Woman of the Year calls potatoes ‘the largest vitamin pills in the world’

Potato company HZPC has named Dr. Marie Rasochová (80) from the Czech Republic as its Potato Woman of the Year 2018. Marie Rasochová is a renowned promotor of potatoes in the Czech Republic. She is well known for promoting potatoes as the largest vitamin pills in the world. She spreads her message on radio, television programmes, in magazine articles, newspaper stories and during road shows.
11/15/2018

Deciphering potential climate change impacts on potato production

Allan Siano is a Senior Science Research Specialist at the government of the Philippines, undertaking a PhD programme in Horticultural Science at the School of Agriculture and Environment of Massey University, New Zealand. Siano says recent extreme weather events such as heat and drought, and unprecedented heavy rain have resulted in reduced bulking and encouraged rotting of tubers in major potato production areas in New Zealand.
11/15/2018

Germany: Low potato harvest seriously impacts seed, processing sectors

After completion of the potato harvest in Germany the expected low yield of the crop due to the extreme drought this summer became a reality, the German association of fruit, vegetable and potato processing industry (BOGK) says in a press release today.
11/15/2018

How to remove CIPC residue from potato storage buildings?

Chlorpropham (or CIPC) is widely used as a sprout suppressing agro-chemical applied to stored potatoes. CIPC has been in use for more than 50 years. Today, various safety issues and concerns have surfaced primarily due to continuous and long-term use of CIPC. While the use of CIPC is strictly regulated in some countries, it is expected to be banned in others in the near future.
11/14/2018

New dealerships for AVR potato equipment in Canada

AVR, Belgian manufacturer of potato equipment, recently appointed 3 new dealerships in Canada. AVR manufactures a full range of agricultural machinery for the cultivation of potatoes as well as other bulbs and tubers, ranging from seed bed preparation, planting and ridging to haulm topping, harvesting and storing.
11/14/2018

A solution found for the acrylamide problem?

Acrylamide in refined food is a growing and serious concern among international health authorities. Zeracryl AS in Norway is a company that collaborated with the Norwegian fry manufacturer Hoff SA to develop a new solution to reduce the development of unacceptably high acrylamide levels in potato fries during processing.
11/14/2018

US potato exports down: Retaliatory tariffs blamed

The first quarter of the July 2018 – June 2019 marketing year saw significant declines in U.S. potato exports compared to the same time frame the previous marketing year. In a press release issued earlier today, Potatoes USA says the volume of frozen potato product exports dropped 6%, with values down 5%. Dehy export volume and value are both down 7%, while the volume of fresh exports declined 12% with value off 10%.
11/13/2018

Potatoes may have altered ancient people’s genomes, researchers say

As the ancient Andean people turned wild tubers into the domesticated potato, the potato may have altered the genomes of the Andeans who made it a staple of their diet, according to new research. Potatoes, native to South America, became an agricultural crop thousands of years ago in the Andean highlands of Peru. Now, researchers have used DNA analysis to show that the ancient populations of the Peruvian highlands adapted to the introduction of agriculture and an extreme environment in ways distinct from other global populations.
11/13/2018

An app to smartly identify plant pests and diseases

Modern technology put to practical use for potato growers: A smartphone app (now also available online) developed by The James Hutton Institute in Scotland can help with disease identification in the field.
11/13/2018

Scientists discover new virus infecting potatoes

A new species of the genus Potyvirus infecting potatoes was discovered by scientists working at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) in Edinburgh. In a recent scientific paper they are proposing the name “Potato yellow blotch virus” (PYBV) to identify the virus in future. It was discovered in a potato breeding line.
11/12/2018

New faces at Potatoes New Zealand

Potatoes New Zealand is the official organization representing potato growers’ interests in that country. Chris Claridge functions as Chief Executive of the organization. Earlier this year, he announced that two new staff members joined Potatoes New Zealand: Iain Kirkwood and Gemma Carroll.
11/12/2018

British crisp and chip prices going up due to potato crop shortage

A shortage of potatoes across Europe is pushing up the cost of crisps and chips for British shoppers. The low supply has affected supermarkets, which are cutting back on discounts on multi-packs to make sure they don’t run out of stock.
11/12/2018

Soaring cost of potatoes heaps pressure on food processors

Food suppliers and processors in Northern Ireland could be heading for a clash with supermarkets over the soaring cost of potatoes. One food processing firm told Business Telegraph the cost of buying potatoes to make its products had increased from £120 per tonne in 2017 to almost £300 per tonne this month.
11/11/2018

Wisconsin potato crop facing 12 percent decline after wet year

It’s been a wet year for many parts of the eastern United States, where numerous regions are approaching record precipitation numbers. One state that’s experienced a much higher-than-normal amount of snow and rainfall is Wisconsin, the third-largest potato-producing state after Idaho and Washington. Tamas Houlihan, executive director of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, said the effects have been felt.
11/11/2018

Belgium summons reinforcements in Colombia chip war

Belgium, self-proclaimed inventor of the French fry or chip, urged Europe on Friday to help it fight a tariff slapped on its iconic export by Colombia. Colombia accuses Belgian, Dutch and German agribusiness of dumping cheap chips on its market and undercutting struggling local producers.
11/10/2018

PepsiCo launches bid for Pipers Crisps

By launching a bid to acquire Lincolnshire crisp company Pipers Crisps, PepsiCo is currently taking another step into the UK snack market. The PepsiCo company already owns Leicester-based Walkers Crisps and American firm Doritos and wants to grow Pipers in the UK. The international food and drink company’s bid is subject to approval by the Competition and Markets Authority.
11/8/2018

Threat to Scottish seed potatoes

Scottish Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon this week wrote to Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove to highlight the threat to this Scottish seed potato export posed by the replacement of full single market access rights with ‘third country’ status. Conversely, Ms Gougeon noted that the ware potato industry, which is of particular importance to other parts of the UK, had been given Defra’s go-ahead to keep importing seed potatoes from the EU.
11/7/2018

Specialty potato brand in the US launches new campaign

Tasteful Selections, a specialty potato brand from RPE Inc. in the US launched the fourth quarter of its yearlong “Fresh Campaign” on November 5. The campaign aims to provide insights and inspiration revolving around healthy, nutritious recipes and kitchen tips for more confident meal preparation, the company says. “Tasteful Selections’ best-quality “bite-size” potatoes transform everyday meals into family favorites by adding nutrition, versatility and variety,” said Tim Huffcutt, marketing director for RPE, exclusive marketer of Tasteful Selections www.tastefulselections.com
11/7/2018

Potato crisis in Cyprus

Lack of rainfall and high temperatures have taken a toll on the production of potatoes in the north of Cyprus and subsequent shortages in supply have led to soaring prices, Turkish Cypriot media reported on Tuesday. Daily Yeni Duzen referred to a ‘potato crisis’. Due to soaring prices in the market and the low production of potatoes this year, it said, many producers started harvesting non-mature potatoes to meet demand. Prices however, the report says, remain high.
11/7/2018

Ireland: Summer heatwave blamed for 25pc drop in potato crop

Consumers can expect the humble spud to possibly double in price over the next year according to suppliers, as the hot weather this summer means the crop is down 25pc in Ireland this year. While the country basked in sunshine and heatwave conditions throughout the summer months, the potato crop became dormant in the soil as it was too hot and dry for the potato to grow.
11/6/2018

Potato pink eye disorder re-named

In a recent article published in Spud Smart magazine in Canada, potato specialist Dr Eugenia Banks points out that Ed Lulai, a potato physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been researching the causes of pink eye and has just published his results. He suggests replacing the name pink eye with “Periderm Disorder Syndrome” (PDS).
11/5/2018

Vlaamse Frites: The best fries in the world?

Some cities are meant for walking. Everything worth seeing should be discovered on foot, which means plenty of exercise while on holiday, and plenty of fresh air for lungs used to recycled fumes from central air conditioning. It does make sitting down for a good meal a bit of a challenge, especially in places like Tokyo where eating and walking is generally frowned upon. Not so the case with Amsterdam...
11/5/2018

Australia: Spudshed empire grows profits by 76%

Tony’s Galati’s growing Spudshed empire increased its profit by 76 per cent to nearly $4 million over the past year, despite pressure on margins fuelled partly by rising competition from international players. Spudshed entity Vegie Bandits’ $3.96 million net profit for fiscal 2018, up from $2.25 million a year earlier.
11/4/2018

Cavendish Farms president urges Prince Edward Island govt to double potato farm land limits

The president of Cavendish Farms is warning that the future of potato farming on Prince Edward Island could be at risk due to provincial restrictions on land ownership. During a meeting of the province’s standing committee on communities, land and environment, Robert Irving brought attention to the declining numbers of potato farms on the Island. Since 1997, the number of potato farms has declined from 460 to 186.
11/3/2018

Guide: How to sample soil for potato cyst nematodes

Potato cyst nematode costs the British potato industry more than £25m each year and accurate soil testing is a critical aid in managing the pest to minimise crop losses. At low levels of infestation, crops show no symptoms and the danger is that populations could thrive, reaching levels that can be difficult to manage.
11/3/2018

Chip crisis in Britain: Sweet potato chips replacing chunky chips in bars, restaurants

Chunky chips are off the menu at many bars, restaurants and traditional fish and chip shops in Britain after the hot summer caused a smaller potato crop. The vegetables are much smaller than usual this year, meaning chips are smaller, prices are going up and in some cases sweet potatoes are being used instead.
11/2/2018

Two potato farmers create UK’s first compostable crisp packet

Two Farmers, a new UK-based crisp brand, aims to redefine the snack sector with the launch of its artisan range of crisps in 100% compostable packaging. Potato farmers Sean Mason and Mark Green, from Herefordshire, have beaten the 2025 deadline for compostable packets set by potato snack giant Walkers, who recently faced a backlash over its non-recyclable packaging.
11/1/2018

US potato export industry hampered by trade barriers

The National Potato Council (NPC) in the US recently issued a report titled “2019 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers”. The report came in response to a request from the Office of the Trade Representative. In the report, the NPC says that frozen fries are the industry’s primary export product, although fresh, seed and dehydrated potatoes are also exported in increasing numbers.
11/1/2018

North Korea wants to bring about a “revolution in potato farming”

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has visited the Samjiyon Potato Farina Production Factory for the second time this year, after a visit in July, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.
10/31/2018

Convenience trend: New potato product line ready to “heat and eat”

A new potato line, the Perfect Potato™, is now available in the US from Robinson Fresh® and Albert Bartlett. This product line is said to answer a consumer demand for a flavorful staple with convenient packaging that requires no prep work and is ready to heat and eat.
10/31/2018

NPC on global potato trade barriers

The National Potato Council (NPC) in the US recently filed public comments that identified trade impediments impacting the potato industry in export markets around the world. The comments come in response to a request from the Office of the Trade Representative. NPC submitted a report for each country in which trade barriers exist.
10/30/2018

Cancer-risk study looks at value of organic food consumption

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine online suggests eating organic food could lower the risk of cancer. In the study authors said a population-based cohort study of 68,946 French adults found a significant reduction in the risk of cancer was observed among high consumers of organic food.
10/30/2018

Expert opinion on challenges facing potato processing industry

As TOMRA ships its 200th steam peeler from a state of the art processing facility in Slovakia, the company’s Market Manager Peeling, Eamonn Cullen, take a look at the impact steam peeling has on profitability and waste reduction in the potato processing industry.
10/30/2018

New study: The key to human evolution may be… potatoes?

Science has finally gotten behind everyone’s favourite root vegetable. New research conducted by the University of Sydney has linked a certain gene with starch digestion, metabolism, gut microbiome, methane production and, ultimately, increase in brain size during human evolution. This research brings us a step closer to justifying fries as an evolutionary advantage.
10/29/2018

Idaho growers expect strong quality

The Idaho fresh potato crop features strong quality and a mix of sizes for 2018, with russet norkotahs tending toward larger sizes and russet burbanks showing a mix of sizes. Industry leaders reported increased acreage for processing but reduced acreage for fresh market potatoes.
10/28/2018

Canada: Common scab complexities

You need to know your enemy if you want to fight it, says Martin Filion, an associate professor at the Université de Moncton in Canada. “Genetic diversity of a pathogen means differences in functions the pathogen might have,” he says. “For instance, different species or strains might have different responses to chemicals or agricultural practices you are using to manage the disease.”
10/28/2018

Ireland: ‘Trying year’ for potatoes

Reduced areas planted and reduced yields have led to what look like tightened supplies of potatoes this year – though it is too early to call for sure, according to Teagasc tillage crop and potato specialist Shay Phelan.
10/28/2018