A no-frills, no-nonsense daily account of breaking global potato news stories
The area of potatoes planted in Ireland in 2019 was the second lowest on record, after 2018, which was the lowest on record. There was also a further decrease in the plantings of traditional varieties such as Kerr’s Pink and Golden Wonders. Speaking at the recent National Potato conference in Dublin IFA president Tim Cullinan said farmers continue to be the[Read More…]
Of the thousands of products sold in Aldi stores across Australia, customers have dubbed the Maitre D’ Potato Gratin as the ‘must have’ buy of 2020 so far. Priced at a mere AUS$3.69, the miniature frozen potato bites are ideal for family dinners or lunch treats. Hundreds of happy customers praised the product on Facebook with many describing the item[Read More…]
PepsiCo New Zealand is committed to reducing the saturated fat, sodium and added sugars for Kiwi consumers, Potatoes NZ reports. Exciting news from the potato crisp industry recently, as PepsiCo NZ evolve healthier processing for NZ’s favourite snacks. The maker of Bluebird potato chips and other snacks, has changed the cooking oil for its major snack brands to canola oil.[Read More…]
There’s more to the potato business than reds, whites and russets, marketers in the US say. Specialty varieties and organics are important parts of the product mix, they note. “We need to continue to explore varietals,†said Mike Hart, director of sales and marketing for Fryeburg, Maine-based Green Thumb Farms. “When I look at the produce section as a whole and[Read More…]
As sales of baby Golds, Reds and Medley potatoes continue to climb, MountainKing is embarking on an aggressive program to provide its retail partners with turnkey, display-ready options aimed at driving sales of the smaller, pre-sized variety. “Small potatoes are under-promoted and under-merchandised,†says John Pope, MountainKing vice president of sales and marketing. “We’re working to change that narrative in[Read More…]
PepsiCo Inc. plans to buy online snacks company Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. — known as Be & Cheery — for $705 million from Haoxiangni Health Food Co. as the maker of Doritos and Lay’s potato chips expands in China.
Rough weather during the U.S. potato harvest last fall continues to shake up the markets well into 2020, marketers say. “Overall, the market is elevated due to several weather-related issues across the country during fall harvest,†said Rachel Atkinson-Leach, category and brand manager for Russet Potato Exchange Inc., Bancroft, Wis. Recent prices seemed to support that contention, with year-on-year prices[Read More…]
Two highly innovative Italian potato products are making their debut on the market – Zero Hero, the certified zero residue potato, and Fornatine, selected potatoes to be baked in the oven but crispy just like fried ones, FreshPlaza reports. These products have already aroused the interest of both Italian and foreign operators in the sector, as well as producers, buyers[Read More…]
The amount of food wasted in developed countries has always been known to be ridiculous. And it’s not just the food itself which goes to waste. It’s also the resources such as water and labor. It is also estimated that food loss and waste accounts for nearly 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Now a new study by Monika van den[Read More…]
Potatoes have been becoming less popular for a while now. That is a shame, thinks Geoffrey Delbaere of the Belgian company, Warnez. “It is such a versatile, sustainable, healthy product. It should be considered a superfood. That is why it is important that we not let it fall by the wayside,” Geoffrey told FreshPlaza. “We must make potatoes sexier and[Read More…]
The agrarian state of Punjab has taken a major step towards value addition in its fresh produce, with the introduction of a blockchain traceability-based certification system. The system, which allows for instant tracing of the entire lifecycle of food products from origin through every point of contact to the consumer, has now been introduced for potato seed. With more growers[Read More…]
The final day of the Southern Rocky Mountain Ag Conference brought a focus on the potato. John Lundeen, Research Director for Potatoes USA, provided insight into just how large the market of the popular vegetable is. He began by noting that the potato is rated as America’s number one vegetable. Also, the nation’s most popular side dish is the French[Read More…]
CNIPT, Bord Bia, Europatat and VLAM have launched an inspiring campaign under the title “Potatoes, prepare to be surprised – Europe’s favourite since 1536â€. The joint initiative, which is co-financed by the European Commission under the EU Promotion policy, will run from January 2020 to December 2022 and will encourage the consumption of fresh potatoes among millennials in Flanders (Belgium),[Read More…]
Demand is so high for U.S. potatoes that the industry cannot keep up, several speakers said during the Washington-Oregon Potato Conference, according to a report published by Capital Press. “We’ve put a lot of processing plants in, but we’re still losing market share,” said Blair Richardson, CEO for Potatoes USA. The U.S. industry used to have more than 50% of[Read More…]
Hort News reports that Norfolk potato supplier RBR Crops says it will stop growing potatoes in order to concentrate on more profitable merchant, seed, storage and consultancy activities, and that sadly ten jobs will be lost with the changes. The company, which was founded in 1965, says the decision has been driven by continued cost pressures, the price of rented[Read More…]
It takes just a few seconds – but peeling and cutting up a potato seems to be the latest task too far for today’s time-starved millennials. They are turning their backs on the humble spud and buying pre-sliced potatoes instead. The easy spuds have appeared for the first time on shelves at M&S – which also sells pre-peeled garlic –[Read More…]
As sales of baby Golds, Reds and Medley potatoes continue to climb, MountainKing is embarking on an aggressive program to provide its retail partners with turnkey, display-ready options aimed at driving sales of the smaller, pre-sized variety. “Small potatoes are under-promoted and under-merchandised,†says MountainKing vice president of sales and marketing. “We’re working to change that narrative in a big[Read More…]
Lidl Ireland has introduced the first fully compostable potato bag in the country, in conjunction with Meade Potato Company. The two-kilogramme packs of Meade White Potatoes feature packaging made from FSC-certified sustainable paper, strengthened with starch. The net in the bag is made of corn starch, while the printing uses water-based ink. CSR manager in Lidl Ireland, Ciara Sheehan, commented, “As[Read More…]
US potato exports were on an upswing during the first quarter of the 2019-20 marketing year, according to a report published by Potato Country magazine. This continues the growth seen at the end of the last marketing year and is in despite of continuing trade issues in Asia, according to the report. These figures reflect potato and product stocks coming[Read More…]
Most of us love fries and chips. Other than people on a ketogenic diet, most diets don’t discriminate against the mighty potato. It’s even in Canada’s newest food guide. Most dishes using potatoes are loved by Canadians, especially in the wintertime, when colder weather encourages us to seek out more hearty meals. But reports suggest that North America is experiencing[Read More…]
Football fans will have no shortage of fresh produce to snack on as players both on the buy and supply sides are rolling out promotions to highlight Super Bowl 2020. The Little Potato Company, based in Canada, is one brand sure to shine on game day as it is launching its Big Game, Better Snacks retail promotion. The promotion will run now[Read More…]
Chairman of the Board, William G. Jurgensen reportedly acquired 18,000 shares of this packaged foods company, paying $92.01 per share for a total amount of $1.66 million. Mr. Jurgensen increased his stake by 14.00% to 146,536 shares with this purchase. According to a report published by Seeking Alpha, “it is a little surprising to come across a company that focuses[Read More…]
Registration is now open for restaurants hoping to be crowned champion during the 3rd annual Potahto Week presented by Peak of the Market in Winnipeg in Canada’s Manitoba province. The 10-day event challenges restaurants to put forward a signature dish made with Manitoba grown potatoes and lets the public vote on their favourite creation. According to Larry McIntosh, President and[Read More…]
The P.E.I. Potato Board is rolling out a series of short videos designed to give people a peek into where Prince Edward Island potatoes come from. The seven vignettes are a spin-off of an advertising campaign the board launched in 2017, with the tagline: It takes an Island. Mark Phillips, marketing specialist at the board, said the original TV commercial, and[Read More…]
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