Potato News from Europe

Lamb Weston’s Frenzy Fries won Gold at the National Restaurant Pub and Bar Show Innovation Challenge for their creative, experiential concept. Judges praised the product’s innovation and market impact.

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.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) averaged 128.8 points in September 2025, down slightly from its revised August level of 129.7 points. Declines in the cereal, dairy, sugar, and vegetable oil indices outweighed an increase in the meat index.

Sormac will showcase its cutting-edge fresh-cut processing tech at Pack Expo (Las Vegas, Sept 29–Oct 1, 2025) and Fruit Attraction (Madrid, Sept 30–Oct 2, 2025), featuring the BSM Belt Slicer, FS-3600 MultiSystem, and more live demos.

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.

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.

The 72nd Potato Autumn Exchange in Hamburg tackled rising transport costs, CO₂ pricing, and logistics challenges amid Europe’s record potato harvest. Leaders discussed solutions like digital tools and alternative drives to boost supply chain efficiency.

Los supermercados se benefician mientras que los agricultores no alcanzan a cubrir sus costos. El malestar del sector es grande.

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.

Mooij Agro launches Croptimiz-r MAX, a next-gen controller for crop storage. It manages up to 16 cells, automates climate control, cuts energy use, and protects crop quality. Key features include a 12” touchscreen, EVA assistant, and remote access.

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.

La recolección de patata en Salamanca sigue lenta: la siembra se retrasó más de un mes por lluvias y, con el poco interés de la distribución y los bajos precios, los agricultores no se animan a iniciar el arranque.

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.

With rising pressure on cost, consistency, and speed, fresh-cut vegetable processors are rethinking equipment. FAM STUMABO’s trio—Dorphy™ TM, Centris™ 315, and Flexis—delivers faster changeovers, higher throughput, and superior product quality.

French Fries from McDonald’s may be world-famous, but they often grow just around the corner. Behind every portion of fries stand local farmers cultivating the potatoes, and Dutch entrepreneurs working together for more sustainable potato farming.

Atlas Copco’s heat pumps and steam compressors turn low-temperature waste heat into high-temp energy, cutting energy use and emissions. Electrification replaces fossil fuels, enabling efficient, sustainable, and decarbonized industrial heating.

Developing countries like China and India are expanding potato processing, shifting from importers to exporters. Global frozen potato trade rose from USD 7.7B to USD 13.2B (2019–2024), with demand and per-capita consumption growing worldwide.

Princesa Amandine will be present at the 17th edition of Fruit Attraction, one of the leading international meeting points for the fruit and vegetable sector, which will bring together more than 120,000 professionals from 150 countries.