Potato News from Asia

Sri Lanka has increased the tax on imported potatoes from Rs 15 to Rs 25 per kilo (from USD 0.11 to USD 0.19) to protect the interests of local potato farmers.

Contrary to NGO stories of exploited farmers and middlemen running riot, Gujarat’s potato farmers have scripted an entrepreneurial success story by teaming up with multinationals and other buyers of their produce

It may surprise many people to learn that China has been the world's largest producer of potatoes since 1993. But it should not be entirely unexpected. The Chinese diet has changed drastically since the economic reforms of the 1980's.

PepsiCo and Mondelez, along with their Indian counterparts ITC and Britannia, have been approached for a stake of Balaji Wafers - a 37-year-old india based wafer (potato chip), namkeen and savoury brand that dominates a number of states in western India.

Potato prices in West Bengal may depreciate by 8% on the back of a better crop prospect in south India. The south Indian crop is expected to enter the market next month which is likely to push down prices at the retail level.

For over 30 years, the International Potato Center (CIP) has played a significant role in developing Sino-Peruvian relations through the introduction and promotion of various varieties of drought and disease resistant potato and sweet potato to China.

David Thompson, President of World Potato Congress Inc., recently announced that Yanqing County, Beijing City, China, has been selected as the site of the 9th International World Potato Congress to be held July 28-30th, 2015.

After four years of work, the National Potato Council (NPC) and the United States Potato Board (USPB) are pleased the government of the Philippines has revised its import requirements to allow for entry of U.S. fresh table-stock potatoes.

One of India's states, Himachal Pradesh will impose a ban on using polythene for packaging non-essential eatables, especially potato chips and candies, from July 1, officials said on Sunday.

Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella) populations are on the increase across southern Europe, particularly around Mediterranean basin, and are likely to lead to significant in-store losses and threaten the trade of infected tubers.

Wholesale merchants in Karnataka have started selling their stock of over 30,500 tonnes of potato seeds brought from Punjab.

The Board of Directors of China Essence Group Ltd announces that the Group expects to register a net loss for FY2013.

In a bid to boost potato cultivation in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced to enhance the subsidy on diggers, graders and planters from 10 per cent to 50 per cent.

Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Services Centre (FSC) aims to triple the quantity of locally produced potatoes to nearly 2,500 tonnes this year from less than 900 tonnes last year, on 45 farms in the Western Region, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

Kolkata-based Pailan Group on Monday entered the Maharashtra market with its popular product POTO potato flakes along with three new exciting ready-to-cook products - aloo Tikki, aloo bonda and aloo cutlet.

McDonald's Japan offers free french fries cupholders.

For 56-year old Subrata Ghosh from village Garbeta in Bengal’s Medinipur district, it was a dream come true on Saturday.

On April 5, USAID Mission Director Stephen Haykin distributed emergency-funded seed potato in the villages of Ghulelebi and Simonaantkhevi– two of the six communities in Dusheti and Tianeti municipalities which sustained severe damage in a July 2012 ha...