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
Michigan State University and Michigan Potato Industry Commission are hosting the 2021 MSU and Michigan Potato Field Day on August 5. Topic areas include: Climate resilience in potatoes; current production season challenges; advancements in potato pathology, nematology, and storability.
The World Potato Congress Inc.’s (WPC) Board of Directors announced this week the appointment of Willie Jacobs as its newest International Advisor from South Africa. Mr Jacobs is serving as CEO of Potatoes South Africa. Romain Cools, President & CEO of World Potato Congress Inc.: “We are very pleased to welcome Willie Jacobs to the World Potato Congress Inc.’s International Advisor group. Mr. Jacobs will be a great asset to WPC.”
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai told Mexican government officials Wednesday that the country needs to resume its stalled process of approving genetically modified crops and pressed for an update on the country’s progress on increasing access for U.S. potatoes. Separately, National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles tells Agri-Pulse he’s pleased Tai is pressing Mexican officials on allowing more U.S. spuds into the country.
The PotatoEurope organisation has announces the program of the scientific symposium that will take place during the opening day of the 2021 event during the first week of September. On September 1, the symposium “The potato in a changing world” will take place at the location of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) Field Crops in Lelystad, the Netherlands.
They might look like small, purple potatoes, but “taewa” are so much more. Taewa come in every shape, and a multitude of colours. There are taewa with dark brown skins and purple inside; pale white inside, and golden yellow outside; maroon red skins, and orange inside. They’re similar, but also quite different, to what you’d find piled at most supermarkets in New Zealand.
Side Delights offers solutions for shoppers who want to continue eating at home with an elevated dining experience. “Increased family time, convenience, and cost-savings are some of the reasons that consumers have traditionally chosen to stay in and eat at home,” noted Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. Side Delights’ line of Gourmet Petites potatoes is for shoppers seeking potatoes similar to those found in fine-dining restaurants.
A trade row between Brussels and London threatened to erupt tonight after UK ministers banned the import of seed potatoes from EU countries in a victory for Scottish farmers. Defra restricted the imports of seed potatoes from the European Union after deciding not to renew a six-month authorisation. Scottish farming chiefs welcomed the news and claimed any extension to the grace period had the potential to “devastate” the industry.
In this AHDB Food & Farming podcast episode, Jimmy Phillips interviews Rob Clayton, AHDB Sector Strategy Director for Potatoes, to discuss how the planned wind down and transition of AHDB Potatoes activities will impact potato storage research. The voting outcome of the recent ballot on the statutory levy in potatoes means that research activity at the centre will stop this autumn.
Wolds Produce Ltd, based in Pocklington near York in the UK, has completed the acquisition of WM Quarrie (Potato Marketing) Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. Wolds Produce was established in 2004 by Simon Tootell and local farmer Simon Foster. It was set up as a potato trading business offering crops from the York area to packers; and the company has grown to become a major potato supplier into the crisping, chipping, ware, and seed industries across the whole of the UK.
It has long been a mystery how this microscopically small organism and other members of the Phytophthora genus mechanically gain entry through the protective layer on the leaves of crops. In a unique collaboration, Wageningen University & Research experts in plant pathology, cell biology and physics have now found an answer to this question. Their discovery also provides new leads to making the control of Phytophthora more effective, more efficient and more sustainable on the long term.
Defra’s decision not to extend the derogation which allowed seed potatoes from Europe into the UK while Scottish growers were banned by the EU from trade in the opposite direction has been widely welcomed in the sector. But while the “both ways or no ways” decision on such trade might help stave off short-term disaster within the Scottish seed sector, commentators feel it will do little to restart the trade.
Crop insect guru Dan Johnson spoke about the importance of good sampling techniques at the Farming Smarter summer Field School in Alberta recently. Johnson, who is a pioneer in the field of crop insect forecasting and a world respected specialist in grasshoppers and potato psyllids in particular, said the key to good assessment within a farmer’s field is understanding the difference between “accuracy” and “precision.”
EMVE Sweden AB is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of machines for handling potatoes, vegetables and fruit. EMVE provides its customers with everything from deliveries of self-manufactured and newly developed machines to external manufacturers from the head office and production facility in south Sweden. The company also offers customers the opportunity for the design and tailor production of processing lines according to their wishes.
This year, the total cultivation area for ware potatoes in the Netherlands has declined by nearly 5 thousand ha (6.5 percent) to 72 thousand ha. It also declined in 2020. Areas in use for seed and starch potatoes have increased slightly over the past twelve months, by nearly 1 percent each. The share of seed and starch potatoes in the total potato cultivation area has continued to rise slightly over the past year.
Researchers at the hybrid potato breeding company Solynta and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have identified, cloned and characterized the gene for self-compatibility in potatoes called “Sli”. This discovery will have a profound impact on potato breeding. With Sli defined, breeders can implement hybrid breeding which will allow for faster and focused rather than opportunistic breeding. The technique could also help to quickly develop new potato varieties that are adapted to local conditions such as drought or flooding.
Europatat is part of an international consortium involved in the research project ADAPT (“Accelerated Development of multiple-stress tolerAnt PoTato”), which aims to develop new strategies for making potatoes fit for the challenging production conditions of the future. ADAPT asked farmers about their perception of climate change, their experiences concerning its impact on potato production, and their need for adapted potato varieties. Almost 90% of the survey respondents indicated that climate change had affected their potato production in the last 10 years, and almost 50% defined climatic change as a threat to maintain potato production at their farms.
A potato-blight warning is in place for the entire country on Saturday, starting in the south and west before moving countrywide, according to Met Éireann. Bernie Commins reports for Agriland that the national weather service has issued an advisory stating that Munster, Connacht, and south Leinster are to be impacted by weather conditions that are conducive to the spread of potato blight on Saturday, July 3.
2021 is a new year for potato growers, and that’s a good thing. “Most growers are pretty happy to have last year behind them,” said Mark Klompien, president and CEO of the United Potato Growers of America. Challenges of the COVID-10 pandemic for growers included the ups and downs of the demand side of the equation, both in the fresh and processed sectors.
Washington State University researchers have used granules made from potato processing plants’ waste bacteria to strengthen soil, offering a new alternative to cement additives that are currently used to shore up soils for building and erosion control. The researchers added the granules containing a bacterial slime – called a biofilm – to the soil, allowing a more natural and less carbon-intensive way to strengthen the soils.
Results of last season’s Syngenta alternaria monitoring in British potato crops has further reinforced the pattern of earliest infection from A. alternata, with A. solani typically coming into crops later in the season. The monitoring is undertaken by independent and industry potato agronomists sampling suspected cases throughout the season, with laboratory analysis by NIAB specialists to determine the species of alternaria (early blight) present.
Is there a visit to McDonald’s without enjoying some legendary fries? Probably not. It is a fact that if we decide to indulge ourselves by consuming fast food, we will not be able to resist those wonderful and iconic potatoes that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are the perfect treat, a comforting source of starch with the ideal touch of salt. The truth is, we’ve all indulged in McDonald’s fries from time to time. If they are one of your favorite guilty whims, it’s time to update you with some curious facts about its ingredients and how they have changed over the years…
Timely rains have sustained the red and yellow potato crops in northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota so far this season, but they will need more moisture as the crop matures. Most red and yellow potatoes, which are sold in the fresh market, are not grown under irrigation in the Red River Valley in North Dakota and Minnesota. That means they depend entirely on rainfall. “We’re not getting the big rains that we have had in the past, but it seems to be enough to keep things from deteriorating,” said Ted Kreis, Northern Plains Potato Growers Association marketing director.
Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, introduces its Marathon vibratory conveyors with monobeam construction. Featuring a narrow frame that’s less than half the surface area of traditional Marathon frames, monobeam shakers offer better access to the conveyor bed and fewer parts to clean. Available in lengths from 9 to 15 meters, this is Key’s longest monobeam conveyor.
This week, Randy Russell, founder of The Russell Group, which manages the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance, joins the NPC Eye on Potatoes podcast to talk about how the FACA coalition got started and why it was so important that potato growers have taken a seat at the table. In May, the podcast was joined by Mark Klompien, President and CEO of United Potato Growers of America, who informed listeners about the fresh market outlook.
It was announced last week that Mexican Agriculture Secretary Víctor Villalobos Arámbula is expected to travel to Washington, D.C. in early August to meet with his American counterpart, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The meeting is expected to include a discussion of the decades-long issue concerning Mexico’s ban on the full importation of fresh U.S. potatoes. Today, NPC and state potato organizations sent a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack and USTR Ambassador Tai, urging them to “maintain a ‘trust-but-verify’ stance with Mexico” as they continue their negotiations.
Canada has recorded its highest ever temperature as the country’s west and the US Pacific north-west frazzle in an unprecedented heatwave. The US and Canada have both warned citizens of “dangerous” heat levels that could persist this week. A “heat dome” – static high pressure acting like a lid on a cooking pot – has set records in many other areas. This high pressure zone is huge, from California right up to Canada’s Arctic territories and stretching inland through Idaho.
As the Magic Valley prepares for potentially record setting heat this week, farmers, potato researchers and dairy scientists are all voicing concerns. Nora Olsen, University of Idaho professor and extension potato specialist, said heat on top of longer days can be a lot for any crop, including potatoes. In high temperatures, potatoes will shut down and stop growing. This can cause situations of start and stop growth patterns that are not ideal for growing potatoes. “We are like pulling our hair out right now trying to figure out how to irrigate the crop,” she says.
Europatat, Copa-Cogeca, Euroseeds and Starch Europe last week released a co-signed statement in which they support the conclusions of an EU Commission study, saying that the current GMO legislation in the EU ‘faces clear implementation challenges and is no longer fit for purpose’. The associations say: “We strongly welcome the Commission’s intention to initiate a short-term policy action on plants derived from targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis. We hope that such a policy initiative will create a more enabling and innovation-friendly environment for products resulting from these breeding methods.”
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