We bring you a no-frills, no-nonsense daily report of breaking potato news stories from around the world as we receive it, 24/7
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) reports that overall, consumption and demand have improved over the past 10 days in Ireland, following the return of cooler weather conditions. Estimates put the area damaged by the storms two weeks ago in Belgium, Holland and Germany at around 20,000 ha’s. A full assessment can only be made once the crop reaches maturity but blight is widespread and tuber quality and yields are very likely to have suffered.
The National Potato Council met virtually for the summer meeting last week. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says there’s work to do across all issue areas including infrastructure, immigration reform and fresh potato market access with Mexico.
Harvest will pick up steam in August for the 2021 Wisconsin potato crop. Sources said acreage won’t be much changed from a year ago, and the crop outlook is generally favorable, though weather factors could influence the outcome of the crop through the end of harvest this fall.
What can possibly happen in 10 seconds? For Filipinos hooked to their mobile phones for more than 10 hours a day every day, 10 seconds is a lot. A new advertising concept will even shake things up in online consumer engagement as Potato Corner, the beloved “flavored fries,” brings its playful and fun flavors in a pioneering, never-before-seen storytelling adventure.
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. is expanding. During the past five months the company has announced three significant capital projects in markets around the world that will increase its scale and capitalize on global consumer demand for value-added potato products. The investments come in the wake of what Thomas P. Werner, president and chief executive officer, called “the most challenging operating environment in our company’s history.”
Vegetable, flower and potato growers who led the campaign to abolish a statutory levy on horticulture and potato production – the AHDB Petitioners – have expressed concern and disappointment by recent comments by NFU representatives, and the Growers Better Levy Group, suggesting the industry supports a compulsory levy. Lincolnshire potato and vegetable grower John Bratley said, “In two decisive votes, two-thirds of growers across the horticulture and potato sectors unambiguously rejected the idea of a statutory levy.
GRIMME UK is celebrating the sale of the 1,000th VARITRON self-propelled harvester by offering customers the opportunity to take advantage of several sensational upgrade packages. To mark the milestone, GRIMME has introduced three commemorative models: The VARITRON 470 Edition 1000, VARITRON 470 Platinum TERRA TRAC Edition 1000 and an Edition 1000 two-row harvester.
Dr Judith Nyiraneza is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Charlottetown Research and Development Centre on Prince Edward Island. She and a team of colleagues conducted a two-year research study to evaluate the effects of pen-pack cow manure application, as well as a number of cover crops on nitrate dynamics and soil nitrogen (N) supply, potato yield, selected soil properties, and soil-borne diseases.
India’s Britannia 50-50 has launched the ‘5050 Potazos’. It is billed as a ‘fusion’ product that brings together potato chip and biscuit. The brand undertook a nationwide consumer survey in the run up to the launch, and the product was rated by consumers as the ‘best new product’ in the snacking space, with 90 per cent of consumers giving it a ‘definitely buy’ rating.
The Elora Research Station in Ontario will host its annual open house event next Wednesday, August 11. Everyone who is interested in potato research is invited to come see the new variety demonstration plots in the field. Chipping, fresh market and french fry lines will be on display. This includes elite selections from the National Potato Breeding Program-AAFC, promising lines from Michigan State, Wisconsin and more.
According to a market report issued by Potatoes USA, potato sales declined in dollars by 10.5% and in volume by 15.5% during April – June of 2021, compared to the same time period in 2020. However, when sales are compared to that same timeframe in 2019, sales increased in value and volume. Consumers bought 53 million more pounds of potatoes, demonstrating demand for potatoes is elevated in grocery stores.
One of leading potato growers in Cornwall in the UK has become the latest producer to put its trust in Haith Group. In 2020, with demand for homegrown produce soaring, E W Button & Son decided to invest in a brand new, purpose-built grading facility for its early season and ware potatoes.
British farmers could improve production levels by engaging with scientists more on social media, researchers have suggested. FarmingUK reports that farmers and scientists are encouraged to engage with each other on social media to improve the carbon footprint of farms and increase production of crops and livestock.
The Australian potato industry has a new extension and communication project. The new PotatoLink intitiative (inlcuding a website and accompanying magazine) aim to help growers improve quality, maintain yield and find efficiencies through best practice resources, targeted training, relevant field days and regular clear, comprehensive information.
In Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a $200 plate of french fries stretches the definition of haute cuisine. The restaurant Serendipity 3 already claims world records for the most expensive burger ($295) and ice cream sundae ($1,000), so if the question is, “You want fries with that?” its answer is a resounding yes…
Successful innovation for agriculture will depend on thorough and careful understanding of the aspirations of beneficiaries and the challenges farmers face. It entails putting them at the center of these innovations, according to this blog post by the International Potato Center (CIP). As part of its work to research solutions addressing hunger and poverty, CIP and partners worked in Uganda to develop and test a new type of blight-resistant potato, which may not need any fungicides.
Due to the current developments in regard to the coronavirus pandemic in the Netherlands and the associated lack of official approval from Dutch authorities to hold the event, PotatoEurope 2021, an outdoor exhibition on 25 hectares, scheduled for 1-2 September 2021 in Flevoland, Netherlands, has been cancelled.
A further Covid-19 support scheme worth up to £2 million for Northern Ireland farmers growing potatoes for the processing supply chain has been announced. The financial support package comes in response to the significant reduction in demand for potatoes from the hospitality and food service sector. Growers who still have quantities of unsold potatoes in their stores, which were destined for the potato processing supply chain, can apply.
Key Technology introduces ‘Key Discovery’. This suite of software solutions transforms Key’s digital sorting systems into IIoT connected devices that collect, analyze and share data while sorting product. “The Industrial Internet of Things is a reality in the food processing industry. Key Discovery represents the next-generation of our information analytics software solutions,” said Dave Crewe, Senior Vice President of AIS Engineering at Key Technology.
The picture above was spotted on British based cycling website, road.cc. The caption reads: “Gels and bars stuck to the top tube? Fine, we’ve seen it before. French bikepackers bundling baguettes back in their pockets? All good. Pizza slices taped to the top tube? That’s a new one… and as for raw potatoes packed into a pouch for a crunchy mid-ride snack… Well…
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced recently that they have found an innovative way to treat pathogens and pests in potato, citrus trees, and tomato plants without the use of antibiotics, zebra-chip disease in potato. They found that plants showed significant reduction of each pathogen or symptom development in response to FANA treatments.
The “triadic comparisons of technologies” – or tricot – approach is being used in a citizen-science project funded by the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) to identify and scale up best potato and cassava varieties in Rwanda. Farmers are trained to conduct a trial with potato seed and then, at the end of the season, they are asked which variety they consider ‘best’ or ‘worst’ on several characteristics including yield, marketability, plant vigor and more.
Vanessa Kummer is a farmer from Colfax, North Dakota. She is a Farmer Ambassador with Farm Journal Foundation. In a recent article published as a CNN Opinion piece, she writes: The agricultural industry is often misunderstood by the general public, and we haven’t always been credited for being forward thinking on climate change. However today, more farmers recognize the evidence around us and are turning the tide. …To truly move the needle, the government needs to provide more support.”
The Growers’ Better Levy Group (GBLG), a voluntary group of business operators in the horticulture and potato sectors, is calling for Defra to support a grower-managed research agency following the ballot on the AHDB statutory levy for horticulture and potato growers. GBLG is made up of a voluntary group of 36 independent and representative business operators in the horticulture and potato sectors.
ProSource Produce LLC., and Arrowhead Potato Co., announced that they have entered into an exclusive sales and marketing agreement beginning in August of 2021. Arrowhead Potato Co., doing business as Moss Produce LLC., is a family owned and operated farming and fresh potato packing operation located in Rupert, ID. ProSource Produce LLC., is a grower owned and operated sales and marketing company based in Hailey, Idaho.
Lamb Weston Holdings posted robust fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 results, as both top and bottom lines increased year over year. Results were largely aided by demand recovery for frozen potato products, with curbs being lifted and restaurant traffic improving. Demand in Europe and key export markets is likely to improve with the increased availability of vaccines in the regions.
Lamb Weston / Meijer (LW/M) announced plans today to build a new french fry plant, expanding its existing production facility in Kruiningen, the Netherlands. The new plant is designed to process potatoes with a minimum amount of water and energy, fitting Lamb Weston / Meijer’s 2030 Sustainability Agenda.
