No-nonsense, no-frills potato news stories from around the world
Elea Technology has launched new PiCon solutions to enhance real-time transparency and automation in Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) processes, especially within the food industry. A webinar on June 30 will introduce the PiCon Sense, Vision, and Flow tools, showcasing their potential to optimize cutting, monitor belt loads, and track resource consumption. These innovations aim to improve efficiency, product quality, and sustainability in PEF applications.
Father’s Day evokes deep reflections on memory and fatherhood. It serves as a reminder of the complex emotions tied to our fathers and our own experiences as fathers. The author shares personal insights about navigating imperfection in parenting, emphasizing the importance of understanding and forgiveness. He hopes to be remembered not just for his failures, but for the love and effort he invested in his children, acknowledging that true fatherhood is a journey marked by humility and enduring love.
The North America Potato Storage Organization (NAPSO) will host a free online webinar on June 19, focusing on potato storage management. Titled “Storage Turnover: Finishing Strong & Preparing Ahead,” it is aimed at helping growers and storage managers optimize their processes. Expert speakers Tyson Arnold and Nathan Gelles will cover key topics such as sanitation, storage planning, and crop protection to enhance profitability and crop quality in the storage season.
Last week, Europatat held its annual Congress in Brussels, attended by 90 members. A new Board was elected for 2026-2030, appointing Peter Ton as President, alongside Vice-President Vlastimil Rasocha and Treasurer Francisco Moya. Key priorities include trade, plant health, food safety, and sustainability reporting. The 2025-2026 Activity Report was presented, detailing Europatat’s initiatives and is publicly accessible on their website.
On 30 May, the world marks International Day of Potato – a United Nations-recognised observance highlighting the crop’s vital contribution to food security, nutrition, livelihoods and sustainable agriculture. With the 2026 theme, “Where potatoes grow, livelihoods flourish,” FAO is placing renewed emphasis on farmers, value chains, climate resilience and the potato’s future role in feeding a changing world.
Join Elea’s webinar on April 20 to explore Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology for optimizing potato chip processing in the Americas. Elea, a leader in PEF systems, will showcase how their technology can enhance yield, reduce costs, and improve product quality in chip production. Led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Toepfl and Kevin Hill, the session includes a live demonstration of the PEF Advantage B Micro unit.
Urschel will unveil the Little Gem Aspire Dicer, a cutting-edge machine for fruit and vegetable processing, at several upcoming trade shows starting in May 2026. This innovative dicer, developed by the Urschel I&D team, features patented technology for precision cuts and a compact design. The new model builds on the legacy of the original Little Gem, a groundbreaking invention from the early 1900s. Further details will be available on Urschel’s website.
Potato production in the UK faces significant risks due to weather volatility and reduced farming subsidies, as discussed in a recent GB Potatoes webinar. Experts highlighted the importance of innovative risk management strategies, such as parametric insurance, which offers quicker payouts based on measurable weather events rather than traditional assessments. This new coverage aims to provide essential financial protection for growers, allowing them to safeguard their crops against increasingly unpredictable conditions.
Join Urschel at the Food Northwest Process & Packaging Expo in Portland, Oregon, on April 20-21, 2026. Visit Booth 402 to explore cutting-edge solutions like the Sprint 2 Dicer, KRONEN GS 10-2 Slicer, and KS-100 PLUS Centrifuge/Dryer, designed to enhance production efficiency and precision in food processing. The expo is the largest regional trade show in the U.S., offering valuable networking and education opportunities.
In celebration of the U.S. 250th birthday, the Idaho Potato Commission and County Fair Foods revealed the world’s largest Idaho® potato display, featuring 250,000 potatoes, symbolizing America’s agricultural legacy. Unveiled before National Tater Day, the display represents the significant role of Idaho potatoes in American diets. The event, also supporting hunger relief through Feeding South Dakota, showcased community spirit and local pride while honoring American farmers and the nation’s history.
Black Gold Farms participated in the Farm Journal Foundation’s Voice of the Farmer Garden event on National Agriculture Day in Washington. Chairman Gregg Halverson and family members joined industry leaders to plant seed potatoes, emphasizing agriculture’s critical role in the U.S. economy. The initiative aims to connect consumers with farmers, highlighting the importance of food security. Black Gold Farms remains committed to advocating for growers and strengthening American agriculture.
Disruption linked to the current war in the Middle East is beginning to affect potato farming worldwide through higher fertilizer prices, tighter supply, and rising energy and freight costs. Because potatoes are sensitive to nutrient timing and often rely on long-term storage, the sector is especially exposed. The greatest immediate concern is fertilizer movement through the Strait of Hormuz, but longer-term risks include higher storage costs, delayed inputs, and tighter planting margins.
Join Urschel at ProPak Vietnam from March 31 to April 2, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, showcasing the Sprint 2 Dicer with Conveyor and the MicroAdjustable SL-14 Cutting Head. These innovative machines enhance food processing efficiency and precision. Discover the benefits of these cutting solutions for high-capacity operations and reduced waste at the Urschel booth. Learn more at Urschel.com.
Registration and abstract submission are now open for the joint EAPR Agronomy & Physiology and Post Harvest meeting, to be held June 16 – 19, 2026, in Warsaw, Poland. Organizers say the meeting will address agronomy, physiology, precision agriculture, postharvest assessment, storage and processing. Early bird registration closes March 16, while abstract submission and regular registration close April 7. EAPR will also offer fee waivers to eight PhD students.
As the world marked International Women’s Day on March 8, the potato industry has strong reason to pause and recognize the vast contribution women have made – and continue to make – across every part of the sector. From conserving native potato diversity in the Andes to supporting science, farming, storage, processing, trade, and leadership worldwide, women have long helped shape the global potato industry’s resilience, continuity, and future direction.
NAPSO and Spud Smart will host a practical webinar, Seed Storage: Protecting Quality from Harvest to Planting, on February 20 at 10:00 AM PST. The session brings together experienced seed and storage professionals to discuss the decisions that most affect seed performance, from field and harvest conditions to storage design, disease control, and monitoring. For growers and storage managers, it offers timely, actionable guidance to safeguard planting-ready quality this season.
At Fruit Logistica 2026, FAM STUMABO addressed critical challenges faced by fruit and vegetable processors, such as labor scarcity and rising quality demands. The company’s consultative approach emphasizes automation and integrated cutting solutions to enhance operations. With a focus on validated outcomes, processors seek reliable partners for effective investments. FAM STUMABO aims to deliver consistent quality and performance through tailored technologies and local testing facilities, ensuring effective results for clients.
A-Insights is hosting a webinar for food manufacturers on February 19, 2026, focusing on five critical trends impacting growth and strategy ahead of 2026. Presenters Shaun Wilken and Eralp Calhan will guide discussions on issues like weight-loss drugs, trade wars, and regulatory pressures. Attendees will gain insights on market signals, risk management, and growth opportunities, making it crucial for industry stakeholders, including the potato value chain. Registration is open online.
Urschel will showcase six advanced food processing machines at Fruit Logistica from February 4-6, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. Featured equipment includes the TranSlicer 2520 and E TranSlicer Cutters, DiversaCut 2110A and Sprint 2 Dicers, the CCLL high-capacity lattice slicer, and the Comitrol Disc Mill 380. These cutting solutions enhance production efficiency for commercial food processors. Visit booth C-30 in Hall 1.1 to explore these innovations further.
Urschel will showcase its latest food processing machinery at ProPak Philippines from February 4-6, 2026. Featured products include the DiversaCut 2110® A Dicer for high-capacity cutting, the versatile Comitrol® Processor Model 1700, the KRONEN PL 40K Potato Peeler for root vegetables, the KRONEN GS 10-2 Slicer for various cuts, and the KRONEN KS-100 PLUS Centrifuge/Dryer. Visit Stand E21 to explore these solutions and enhance food processing efficiency.
Potatoes, essential to American cuisine, have a deep-rooted history in Pennsylvania and over 30 other states, playing a vital role in agriculture and nutrition, as highlighted at the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Nathan Tallman, CEO of the Pennsylvania Co-operative Potato Growers, emphasized the crop’s evolution through technology and consumer preferences, showcasing hundreds of potato varieties and numerous recipes that celebrate potatoes’ importance.
Urschel will attend the California League of Food Producers Food Processing Expo in Sacramento, California, February 4 – 5, 2026, showcasing two cutting systems for food processors: the DiversaCut 2110A Dicer with built-in discharge conveyor and the KRONEN GS 10-2 Slicer. Urschel says the DiversaCut supports continuous, high-capacity slicing, dicing, stripping and shredding, while the KRONEN unit offers gentle, adjustable cutting and washdown-friendly stainless design.
The SAC Association of Potato Producers (SACAPP) conference will be held on February 5 in Dundee, marking its 27th edition. The event focuses on innovation and adaptation in potato production, featuring speakers from the UK and Japan, including insights on water scarcity and clothes made from potato harvest waste.
The World Potato Congress Inc. will host a webinar, “Crop Rotation for WireWorm Control,” on December 10, 2025, featuring Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada entomologist Dr Christine Noronha. The session will highlight how crop rotations can reduce wireworm pressure, protect potato quality and fit into integrated pest management strategies. Noronha will share multi-year research findings and practical guidance for growers and advisors.
In this satirical commentary, the humble potato “responds” to FIFA’s decision to award Donald Trump a so-called ‘peace prize’. From its vantage point in the soil and the storage bin, the potato contrasts manufactured, fake medals with the unglamorous daily work of feeding people, stabilizing communities, and weathering climate and market shocks – quietly arguing that true peace is measured in full plates, not televised ceremonies and in futures worth fighting.
