Potato News from United Kingdom

Jobs are to be axed at Herbert Engineering in Wisbech after the company went into administration on July 14

Following the end of a significant packing contract, UK Potato Packer Farmcare is to embark on a period of consultation with 90 staff at its Carnoustie location.

Tong Engineering is now offering potato processors using its advanced grading and handling equipment a Diagnostics module as part of its latest pro-series Auto-Touch HMI touch screen control.

AHDB Potatoes’ Next Generation educational programme continued to explore GB’s diverse potato industry with a processing-focussed, whole supply chain day at McCain GB Foods Ltd Headquarters in Scarborough recently.

Work to make potatoes more nutritious by including nanoparticles in the fertilizer formulation is proving promising, according to the AHDB-funded researcher Karen Davies

Last week, administrators were appointed to R J Herbert Engineering and R J Herbert Group Ltd of Walton Highway near Wisbech.

McCain Foods GB has recognised Park Farm near Leominister for its exceptional achievements over the potato crop year. Bill and Nicky Smith, of Park Farm, have received the Southern Champion Grower Award from popular chip brand McCain.

UK Supermarket chain Tesco has announced it will issue contracts worth £12 million over three years to help support British Agriculture, and become the first retailer in the UK to introduce new long term contracts for potato growers and packers.

Waste from potato crops could be ‘recycled’ into personal care products such as medical gels and beauty creams – thanks to a new University of East Anglia (UEA) research project.

Ian Wright CBE, Director General at the Food and Drink Federation, the voice of the UK's largest manufacturing sector - food and drink, responds to the vote to leave in the UK's EU Referendum.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s Chief Executive, Jane King, comments on the Brexit vote earlier today.

In the United Kingdom, KETTLE® Chips has introduced a new limited edition to its range of hand cooked, sharing chips which replaces the winter seasonal of Soy, Ginger, Chilli & Honey.

Farm Electronics Limited, a UK based potato storage specialist has become part of the Tolsma-Grisnich group. The company will continue to trade and manufacture crop storage systems as Farm Electronics Limited

Since the start of 2016, potato prices in the United Kingdom have risen more steeply than at any other period since 2000.

An international group of researchers has detailed the genome sequence and inner workings of the yellow Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN), providing new insights into how it can be stopped.

PJ Lee and Sons please with potato store built by Thurlow Nunn Standen LTD and the fitted Omnivent suction and blowing ventilation system and OmniCuro automated control systems.

Purple Magic, a Northern Ireland potato with high anthocyanin content, was bred by Paul Watts at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and just reached the finals of INVENT 2016, a Northern Ireland innovation competition.

Blackleg, caused by strains of soft rot bacteria known as Dickyea, has traditionally had little impact on North American potato production, but it now appears to be on the move throughout Europe and could increasingly threaten growers in the Eastern United States.