News on Potato Varieties and Seed

Global Potato Summit 2025, on Dec 11–13 at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, will unite global experts to boost potato innovation. With 150+ exhibitors, 7,000 visitors, and live farm demos, it’s set to shape the future of the potato industry.

Lay’s unveils its biggest redesign in nearly 100 years, celebrating its farm-to-chip heritage. With real, farm-grown potatoes, new natural recipes, and refreshed packaging, Lay’s commits to no artificial flavors or colors in the U.S. by 2025.

French fries are part of a booming USD 18 billion sector, projected to reach USD 24 billion by decade’s end. Plant & Food Research, part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute, has been recognised for creating a new potato variety tailored to this market.

Potatoes USA reports strong seed export growth. Golden Globe registered in Cuba, Soraya next. New sales in Panama, Nicaragua & Uruguay follow trials. Future trials planned in Dominican Republic & Honduras, including the variety Sound.

Royal HZPC Group plans to acquire Ireland-based IPM Potato Group, a leading seed potato breeder and exporter, boosting HZPC’s UK and global presence.

Potato is one of the most important and widely grown vegetable crops in Eritrea for its nutritional benefit and a source of income for farmers.

The UK distributor of Algifol is to exhibit at British Potato for a second time and is running a special competition to mark 20 years of representing the seaweed-based biostimulant in the UK.

Since its introduction in 2009, aeroponic technology at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board’s Musanze station has become one of the country's most successful seed potato multiplication methods, transforming production efficiency

Fruit Attraction 2025 (30 Sep–2 Oct, IFEMA Madrid) hosts 2,460 exhibitors (+8.4%), 78,000 m² (+10%) and 120,000 professionals. Key highlights: Innova&Tech growth, Organic Hub Tour, Mexico & Malaysia as guest importers, tomato as featured product.

Cornell marks 160 years of potato breeding, creating 50+ varieties—including top U.S. chip potatoes and nematode-resistant strains. Farmer partnerships and USDA support drive innovation, boosting sustainability and the USD 100B U.S. potato industry.

Biostimulant strategies can help potato crops better cope with field stress conditions, as well as enhance tuber numbers and proportion of marketable crop, according to results of plots at Potatoes in Practice Open Day at the James Hutton Institute.

On August 27, 2025, industry leaders met in the Netherlands for the conference Europe’s Place in a Changing Potato World, co-organised by Potato Europe, Europatat and World Potato Markets during Potato Europe 2025.

Global potato markets face a 'Potato Flood' as production outpaces demand, causing price crashes and farmer losses. Rising output from Europe, Asia, Egypt, Turkey, and new exporters China and India fuels oversupply, worsened by U.S. tariffs on EU fries.

Los productores de papa de la Asociación Frutihortícola y Pecuaria de Ybytymí (Paraguarí), que reúne a 205 familias, alertan sobre una plaga que afecta sus cultivos, amenaza la economía campesina y agrava sus deudas.

EUROPLANT marked major anniversaries by raising €20,000 (USD 21,400) for AGUAPAN, a Peruvian initiative preserving potato diversity crucial for breeding, climate resilience, and global food security.

Agriculture Ministry approves 4 new ICAR-CPRI potato varieties—Kufri Ratan, Kufri Tejas, Kufri Chipbharat-1 & 2—for nationwide cultivation, boosting yields, processing quality & farmer returns, strengthening India’s potato sector.

Kenya nears release of '3R' Late Blight-resistant potatoes after 20+ years of research by CIP & KALRO. Supported by 2Blades, Feed the Future & Simplot, the varieties promise higher yields, disease protection, and improved food security by 2026.

PotatoEurope 2025 set records with 17,268 visitors from 107 countries on Sept 3-4 in Lelystad, Netherlands. Live demos, trial fields, and top innovations like Croptimal’s Croptiscan 9000 highlighted the event. Next edition: Sept 9-10, 2026, Germany.