News on The Potato Supply Chain from Europe

After an incredibly challenging season for potato growers, the ADAS Syngenta 2012 Potato Conference and Exhibition is perfectly timed to provide the essential new technical innovation and marketing inspiration for all growers, agronomists and potato industry specialists.

With bacterial disease blackleg posing a threat to Scottish seed potato crops for a second consecutive season, there was advice at Potatoes in Practice on managing the risk of spread during haulm destruction.

Figures from the Potato Council Grower Panel Lifting Survey estimate that 11,600ha (10%) was cleared to Friday August 10, compared with 12,500 ha (10%) the same week in 2011 and 13,000 ha (10%) in 2010.

Wet weather is once again favouring blackleg development in Scottish seed potato crops, although disease levels are believed currently to be below the record levels seen in 2011.

In France, according to the UNPT, blight pressure remains strong and there are signs of early senesce in some crops.

The application of oils has the potential to assist in the control of non-persistent viruses in potato seed crops. However, more work is required to establish the effects on seed crops.

Bayer CropScience announced today the completion of its purchase of AgraQuest, Inc., a global supplier of innovative biological pest management solutions.All required transaction waiting periods have expired without objection from the relevant competit...

A scheme to clear fields in Northern Ireland of potato wart disease has been hailed as a success.

Jerry Knox from Cranfield University will discuss the lessons learnt from the wettest drought in history at the East of England Potato Day

It is probably hard to go wrong with a promotion based on the British obsession with the weather. That is why packets of Walkers crisps, as the Brits call potato chips, will feature augmented reality weather forecasts using an app from Blippar.

The potato market is very successful at the moment. "The demand is at a high level and the prices are good,"says Karel Casteels from Lathouwers &Co. "We didn't expect it at first, but it is a lot busier than last year."He believ...

Scotland's potato farmers are predicting one of the worst harvests in recent years. Crops are expected to be down by as much as 50% in places due to a combination of heavy rain and little sunshine. Producers have said it has been one of the most chal...

Last week, the North-western European Potato Growers (NEPG) provided an update on the potato acreage in NW Europe (Belgium, Germany, France the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). For all five countries, official potato acreages now have been published...

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 213 points in July 2012, as much as 12 points (6 percent) up from June, but still well below the peak of 238 points reached in February 2011. The July surge of the Index followed three months of decline. The sha...

Two innovative Dutch agri-food companies, Solynta and FOODSniffer, have been selected to present at the Ag Innovation Showcase in St. Louis Sept. 10-13. Solynta has developed a revolutionary breakthrough in potato breeding technology.

In the run up to Potato Week (1-7 October 2012), Potato Council is turning to growers and farm shops to help spread the message that there is more to potatoes than meets the eye. To coincide with the launch of its high profile consumer campaign that w...

Tong Peal Engineering is set to showcase its latest range of processing equipment at Potato Europe, one of Europe’s largest potato exhibitions.

El Salón de Plenos del Ayuntamiento de La Orotava ha acogido la presentación del libro 'Las Papas Antiguas de Tenerife. Introducción al cultivo y principales variedades', una obra de Domingo Ríos Mesa, director del Centro de Conservación de la Biodiver...