Potato News from Europe

AVEBE is a partner in the newly founded Protein Competence Center, an initiative of Wageningen UR to join forces of Dutch food companies and knowledge institutes in respect of their research and knowledge of proteins.

This week, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture signed an agreement with AIB (Anti Infringement Bureau) and Breeders Trust. The agreement means that the Food Fraud Detection Inspection of the ministry (ICQRF) and the Inspection Service for seed potatoes and seeds (CRA-SCS) will work closely with AIB and Breeders Trust.

In the United Kingdom, many potato crops are now emerging well - straight into conditions that pose a high risk of blight.

The Meade Potato Company - based in Meath, Ireland - has announced plans to invest €13m in a frozen chip plant at its site in Lobinstown.

Portugal's potato acreage has been reduced by around 5% compared to last year, reports the German Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) on its website.

McCain Foods UK is giving away thousands of Brazilian-themed limited edition Wedges sharing bowls free with two packs of McCain Wedges to drive volume, frequency of purchase and grow the frozen potato category this summer.

TOMRA Sorting Food’s continuing worldwide growth has resulted in the opening of two brand new facilities and major investments being made at sites in three other countries.

The FAO Food Price Index - an indicator of global food prices - averaged 209.3 points in April 2014, down 3.5 points, or 1.6 percent, from March and 7.6 points, or 3.5 percent, below April 2013.

Kiremko developed a new generation of high efficiency batch fryers for potato chips.

TOMRA Sorting Food has launched its Blizzard free-fall sorter for the individually quick frozen vegetable and fruit processing market, and will be demonstrating it for the first time at Interpack.

Aardappelcoöperatie Agrico maakte dit weekend aan haar leden een gemiddelde indicatieprijs van € 28,50 per 100 kg bekend voor pootgoed van oogst 2013.

Dewulf, a specialist in potato and carrot harvesting technology, introduces its 5th generation of 3-wheeled self-propelled two-row potato harvesters (R3060) for next season.

A vision for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) was outlined by the Food and Farming Minister George Eustice and the new AHDB chairman Peter Kendall when they addressed AHDB employees.

Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, is pleased to announce the final programme of the annual Europatat Congress, in Brussels (Belgium) on 22-23 May 2014.

España puede ser a veces un país de contradicciones. Mientras importa papa conservada artificialmente de Francia, está exportando el 70% de su papa fresca, un producto muy valorado en el mercado internacional debido a sus bondades gastronómicas y nutricionales.

Tong Peal has announced its appointment as the UK distributor for Swedish firm AGEC's innovative AGRISEP clod separator.

Potato Planting in North-Western Europe is well on its way.

Based upon grower surveys in the 5 main potato countries in Northwestern Europe, the NEPG (North-western European Potato Growers) calculates with an area growth for consumption potatoes between 3,5 and 4% more.