No-nonsense, no-frills potato news stories from around the world
The global frozen potato snacks market is experiencing growth driven by consumer demand for convenient, ready-to-cook options and the influence of busy lifestyles. Key products include french fries and tater tots, enhanced by advancements in freezing technology and packaging. Opportunities in retail and foodservice, along with a focus on healthier and sustainable options, are noted. Strategic partnerships and online grocery shopping further support market expansion.
Aqueus, a Michigan-based company, introduces hydrogen-based crop chemistry to address challenges faced by potato growers, like rising costs and environmental concerns. Their main product, Growthful, aims to enhance soil conditions and crop performance without replacing existing practices. While initial field trials show promising results, independent validation is essential. Aqueus seeks partnerships with growers and agronomists for further testing to establish transparency and trust in their claims regarding efficiency and sustainability.
Potato processing relies on consistent quality and efficiency, prompting processors to adopt advanced sorting and screening technologies. Traditional methods alone are insufficient for identifying defects and ensuring optimal quality control. Automation, including AI and machine vision, enhances defect detection, reducing waste while improving product yield. Integrated systems improve operational performance, protect equipment, and streamline production, allowing facilities to better manage quality and efficiency in the face of evolving industry demands.
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed five new potato varieties aimed at enhancing the U.S. potato chip supply by increasing disease resistance, long-term storage, and processing reliability. Named Manistee, Mackinaw, Petoskey, Huron Chipper, and Blackberry, these varieties improve quality maintenance over months of storage. They are essential for Michigan, the leading potato producer for chip processing, where about 70% of the crop is used for chips, ensuring consistent supply year-round.
A new study reveals that ancient potato farming in the Andes significantly influenced human evolution, particularly among Indigenous populations. Researchers from UCLA and the University at Buffalo found that natural selection favored Andeans with multiple copies of the AMY1 gene, enhancing starch digestion capabilities since the cultivation of potatoes 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. These findings contribute to understanding dietary adaptations in high-altitude environments.
A new book by Potato News Today editor and publisher Lukie Pieterse examines the global potato industry at a critical turning point. Potatoes at the Crossroads: People, Climate and the Future of a Quietly Powerful Crop explores food security, climate change, water risk, disease pressure, storage, technology, markets, sustainability, and the human realities behind potato production. The book is now available as a softcover and eBook through Amazon.
The frozen potato market is undergoing significant changes as growth persists amidst price, margin, and demand pressures. A recent report outlines shifting consumer behavior and regional economic impacts, revealing reduced market value despite a volume increase. Geographic disparities in demand and rising costs complicate the landscape. Future growth remains expected but at a slower rate, highlighting the need for processors to adapt and focus on genuine consumption trends for informed strategies.
A widespread U.S. drought is adding early-season uncertainty for potato growers in several key production states, especially Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Maine, Texas and Florida. While some major regions still have adequate field moisture, drought risk is shifting attention to irrigation allocations, energy costs, tuber set, quality and yield potential. The full crop impact remains uncertain, but 2026 is already shaping up as a water-watch season.
Scotland’s plant health authorities are implementing targeted post-harvest virus testing for the Cara seed potato variety to manage rising virus levels and modernize plant health inspections. David Kenyon from Sasa highlights a significant increase in virus infections between the fourth and fifth generations of crops. This initiative aims to improve understanding and management of virus presence, particularly for the widely grown variety known for its susceptibility to potato leaf roll virus.
Researchers at Oregon State University have demonstrated that potatoes can grow in lunar regolith, with minimal compost required for decent harvests. While pure moon dirt severely stunted growth, adding just 5% compost yielded relatively healthy plants. The overall nutrition of moon-grown potatoes was comparable to those grown on Earth. This research suggests the potential for cultivating food on the moon, although environmental factors remain a challenge.
Prince Edward Island potato farmers are facing a challenge as they prepare to plant for 2026, driven not by weather or fertilizer costs but by changing consumer behavior due to the increasing use of GLP-1 agonists, medications for diabetes and weight loss. A national survey found that nearly 1.9 million Canadians are using these drugs, significantly impacting the potato market and food consumption habits.
Effective potato handling requires meticulous system design and operating practices to minimize mechanical injuries. By adopting strategies from grain handling, such as controlled drop heights, gentle conveying, and adequate storage conditions, the industry can significantly reduce bruising. Understanding damage mechanisms and implementing thorough monitoring practices are essential for preserving quality and customer confidence.
Potato growers in Minnesota and North Dakota are warning that delays in H-2A visa processing could disrupt 2026 planting in the Red River Valley. Regional reports say some South African workers cannot secure interview appointments until July, well past the spring labor window. Broader U.S. reporting suggests the problem extends beyond potatoes, with growers in multiple sectors facing costly administrative holds and rising uncertainty over seasonal labor arrivals this year.
New research indicates that 62% of Britons now prefer nights in over going out, with older adults being less inclined to stay home. Women (64%) favor staying in more than men (59%). Many find joy in simple pleasures like easy meals and quiet evenings. A shift towards simpler, quicker meals at home is evident, with Lamb Weston chips seen as a convenient choice for enjoyable weeknight dinners.
The European potato market faces a significant surplus, leading to growers incurring disposal costs as demand weakens due to competition from Asia and unfavorable tariffs. High yields from 2025 have resulted in excess stocks, with many growers opting to sell early instead of storing potatoes, further inflating market pressures. Current efforts in Belgium and France aim to address this surplus, highlighting the need for strategic adjustments in production and marketing to stabilize the market.
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.
A new NetCredit study compares standard cheeseburgers and fries at 14 major U.S. fast-food chains and finds that value depends on more than menu price alone. Using patty and fries weights, published nutrition data, and normalized national pricing, the study ranks chains on cost per ounce, portion size, protein density, and calorie concentration. Whataburger led on burger value, Shake Shack topped fries value, and Five Guys served the largest fries portion.
EuroBlight has released its first monitoring results for the 2025 potato season, based on more than 1,200 genotyped Phytophthora infestans samples. EU36 remains the dominant genotype across much of western and central Europe, though its overall frequency fell versus 2024. EU43’s decline has stabilised, with a notable jump in France and first detections in Switzerland and Latvia. EU46 increased and expanded geographically. Diverse “Other” types surged in northern and eastern regions.
This article examines potato acreage reduction across the European Union as a central issue for the current marketing cycle. It outlines how fewer planted hectares may tighten raw supply, increase competition among processors and buyers, and raise volatility in contract and spot pricing. It also explores likely consequences for trade flows, grower decision-making, and risk management, emphasizing the need for early planning, realistic yield assumptions, and disciplined procurement strategies across the value chain.
This feature reframes potato as a solar-biomass platform and argues that yield alone is no longer enough to define performance. It shows how canopy development, stress resilience, biomass partitioning, storage retention, and utilization of side streams shape true value per hectare. With climate volatility and tighter margins, the article calls for integrated decision-making across growers, processors, and planners, supported by measurable KPIs and a practical five-year implementation pathway for resilient profitability.
The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) is spotlighting a potential shift in how potato varieties could be selected in the years ahead: not only for yield, quality, storability, and disease profile, but also for how efficiently they use nitrogen. Early multi-province research suggests that nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) may become a key selection trait for potato varieties. Recent findings indicate newer cultivars could outperform older ones in yield while requiring less nitrogen.
The average price of deep frozen French fries in the EU dropped to €1,206 per tonne in October 2025, the lowest in three years, boosting demand in most EU-4 countries. Belgium became the cheapest producer, while Germany had the highest price. Overall, export volumes increased except in France. However, November figures showed a 6.5% decline. Non-EU competition remains challenging, but some markets, like Africa and South America, increased orders.
EUPPA has released its 2025 Facts and Figures fact sheet, quantifying the scale and reach of Europe’s potato-processing sector. The association says its members represent more than 90% of Europe’s processed potato production. The snapshot reports €9.8 billion in annual turnover, 7.5 million tonnes of fries and potato-derived products produced, and 25,000 jobs linked to 51 facilities. It also highlights major export volumes and strong concentration among top exporting countries.
The global French fries market has shifted dramatically, with Asia increasingly dominating due to falling prices and rapidly growing production in countries like China and India. Traditional producers in the US and Northwest Europe face challenges as low-cost exporters capture market share and average import prices in Asia decline. Despite overall robust demand for frozen potato products, structural overproduction in Europe and competitive pricing pressures complicate the landscape, prompting adaptations from established manufacturers.
Thirty years after launching an early potato-industry website in 1996, Lukie Pieterse reflects on how the World Wide Web evolved into today’s always-on digital world – and how the potato community grew with it. The piece traces the shift from scarcity to information overload, arguing that trust, accuracy, and usefulness matter more than ever. At its core is a human story: friendships, mentorships, hard seasons, and a new generation inheriting both powerful tools and bigger responsibilities.
