Potato News from the Americas

Area planted to fall potatoes in 2009 is estimated at 932,900 acres [=377,540 hectare], up slightly from the 2008 crop year [930,500].Harvested area is forecast at 922,700 acres, also up slightly from 2008.Idaho potato growers increased planted area 5 ...

The familiar sounds of baseball -- the crack of the bat and the thud of baseball hitting leather -- were momentarily superseded Friday night by the unworldly sound of 39,203 fans setting the Guinness World Record(TM) for most potato chips crunched at o...

Procter &Gamble Co. has unleashed the four-decade-old snack in a barrage of new flavors, shapes and sizes with new marketing even as speculation grows that Pringles could be among the next P&G brands to be sold or spun off. "More and mor...

Jamaica Producers Group Limited (JP) has grossed as much as $50 million in sales from its St Mary Cassava Chips project since its launch in October 2008.Minister of Agriculture Dr Christopher Tufton made the announcement at his sectoral presentation in...

How's this for a global marketing strategy? Each month target a different international market with an ad that offends some segment of the population, then, after earning a lot of media attention, apologize and pull the ad.   That's the pattern of off...

La Comisión del Codex Alimentarius ha concluido, tras una semana de reunión, adoptar 30 nuevas normas internacionales para mejorar la inocuidad de los alimentos a nivel mundial y proteger así, la salud de los consumidores según la Organización de las N...

Mother Nature doesn't seem to be cooperating with farmers in eastern Idaho. The June 21st hail storm that affected 25,258 acres of potatoes, and severely damaging 12,000 acres, wasn't the last storm the crops would see. Last week, Idaho Falls and Ammo...

The wet June weather in Idaho provided moisture for many crops eliminating the need to irrigate. However, these same weather conditions may have a pronounced effect on the potato crop. Producers may see an increase in the incidence of diseases such as ...

In its new report, A Look into The Future of Eating, The NPD Group, a leading market research company, forecasts that “better for you” foods, such as organic and light or low-calorie foods and beverages, will be among the fastest growing food trends ov...

Richland and ConAgra Foods have signed a $1.4 million agreement for the city to sell land at Columbia Point to the company to build an administrative campus. ConAgra is buying 8.61 acres to the north and east of Bradley Boulevard near the intersectio...

The American Farm Bureau Federation keeps tabs on a market basket of food items to have a better understanding of the food prices consumers pay at the local grocery store. And in the latest report from the organization, those prices are down slightly f...

Tomato plants have been removed from stores in half a dozen states as a destructive and infectious plant disease makes its earliest and most widespread appearance ever in the eastern United States. Late blight — the same disease that caused the Irish...

Prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 years and over: United States, 1997–2008 The CDC has recently released these and other data on the Obesity in the United states, up to 2008.   Follow the link for details of the data and additional informat...

An unusually wet spring has raised the threat of late blight in Idaho's potato crop, according to experts.The disease had not been reported as of Tuesday, June 30, but there is an increased chance that it could before the growing season is over.Cool, w...

The rainy weather has put Maine's potato crop in jeopardy. The conditions are perfect for the spread of late blight (Phytophthora Infestans).   Potato farmers need to spray their crop to kill off the disease, but haven't been able to get into the fiel...

New results released today from a national survey, one of four annual surveys conducted by the Shelton Group, show most Americans are trying to buy more green products, but many don’t have enough knowledge to make meaningful choices. When asked, &quot...

ConAgra Foods announced today the results of two new studies showing modest reductions in calorie and sodium intake can significantly benefit health, leading to improved productivity and a reduction in U.S. medical expenditures. The analysis of governm...

Chain restaurant operators throughout California said they are prepared to comply this week with the first phase of a state menu-labeling mandate, but many noted that preparation did not immediately include posting calories on menus and menu boards. Be...