News on The Potato Supply Chain from Europe

Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, announces the appointment of Raquel Izquierdo de Santiago as the new Secretary General of the association.

Belgian Potato packer Pomuni has acquired its competitor Potato Masters in order to scale up operations in a stagnant European potato market [Update: no, they did not]

Dewulf, specialist in harvesting technology for potatoes and carrots, handed the key of the 20th Dewulf harvester of this season to the proud new owner, Geert Vansteelant.

The dates have been set for the famous UK Potato Week 2014; running from 6-12 October the campaign will celebrate the humble potato and encourage mums to ‘trade-up’ from generic whites to named varieties.

With two months still to go before the opening of INTERPOM | PRIMEURS 2014, the event is already bigger than last time – and virtually fully booked.

In 2013 Norton Farm Potatoes invested in a grading line designed and manufactured by Tong Peal. Therefore, Tong Peal were the first port of call when increased throughput meant they needed to add to their machinery.

Tesco Northern Ireland’s commercial manager Cliff Kells has confirmed that sales of ‘Comber’ potatoes more than doubled, year-on-year, in local Tesco outlets during the months of July and August.

The North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) estimates that the upcoming
Potato harvest could set a new record, even higher than 2011 when production reached
26.8 million tons.

'We still have faith in the future of the starch potato in Germany,' said Gebhard Bakker, Chairman of the Bundesverbandes der Stärkekartoffelerzeuger e.V. (BVS) (producers' association for starch potatoes) on the occasion of a press conference on September 3 at the PotatoEurope 2014

HZPC has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Rungis for its Perupas specialty potatoes.

HZPC is een exclusieve distributieovereenkomst aangegaan met horeca-groentenspecialist Rungis voor de Nederlandse markt en betreft de bijzondere productgroep van Perupas gekleurde oer-aardappelen..

Around 10,000 potato professionsals from more than 60 countries visited PotatoEurope 2014 at the Rittergut Bockerode estate near Hanover.

During Potato Europe 2014 in Germany, AVR demonstrates its lightweight harvester: the Puma+ with the patented Varioweb cleaning system.

The Dewulf group has reached a preliminary agreement for the acquisition of Miedema, the one to go to for development and production of modern technology for storage, sorting, transport and planting of potatoes.

In the potato market, growers and traders live from day to day. 'It's very unpredictable at the moment', Bart Nemegheer of the Aardappelhoeve laments. 'Demand is good, but prices are far below par.'

In a reversal of policy, the Russian government last week modified its prohibition on several types of food imports from the United States, Canada, the EU, and other Western countries to allow for the importation of seed potatoes.

Dewulf will demonstrate its complete range of potato harvesters at Potato Europe in Germany :the new RA3060, Kwatro and the RJA2060.

HZPC has decided to end its participation in HZPC Sverige AB (Sweden, Billdal). Reason for the decision is insufficient profitability, caused by the slow modernization of the Swedish Seed potato market