The German Potato Trade Association (DKHV) and UNIKA have appointed Dr. Illya Kolba as their new joint managing director, effective August 1, 2026. He will lead political advocacy and represent the interests of Germany's potato industry.

On May 30, the International Day of the Potato was celebrated worldwide, highlighting the potato’s role in food security, sustainability, economic development and culinary diversity beyond its importance as a staple food.

Germany’s potato industry calls for urgent research and coordinated measures against the spreading reed glasswinged leafhopper to protect cultivation, jobs, and regional economic strength.

Plant protection, bureaucracy, and production costs – these are just some of the issues currently weighing heavily on Germany’s specialty crop sector.

In celebration of International Day of Potato, DKHV & UNIKA launch a LinkedIn series on May 24, 2025, showcasing the potato’s global impact on food, culture, and innovation—plus a postcard campaign for key decision-makers. #PotatoCosmosCulture

The Technology Commission of the UNIKA and the Technology Committee of the German Potato Trade Association served as discussion partners and sources of inspiration. V. (DKHV) was invited to the geoecology working group at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in December.

During PotatoEurope more than 300 guests from Germany and abroad met on September 7, 2022 at Gut Rethmar to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Europlant Pflanzenzucht GmbH

PotatoEurope 2018, one of the top events for the international potato industry, returns to Germany on September 12 and 13.

Preparations for this year's PotatoEurope exhibition are progressing well, with planting now complete at the event venue, Rittergut Bockerode farm, near Hanover in Germany