Potato News from Belgium

El Reglamento de la UE sobre la agricultura orgánica no permite el uso de organismos genéticamente modificados (OGM).Pero..... puede distinguirse un cultivo de papa cisgenico de un cultivo de papa que es el resultado de la producción convencional?

Under the provocative slogan 'Making the European Potato Trade great again! (it’s gonna be huge, it’s gonna be great, it’s true!)', the Europatat Congress 2017 will focus on two major current issues for the potato sector: plant health and trade.

Belgian metalworking specialist Burgmetaal has installed 20 lifting systems at Lutosa to facilitate the handling and exchange of the (bag) forming shoulders for the VFFS packaging machines.

Belgian Potato Processing company Lutosa, a subsidiary of McCain Foods, plans the construction of a new french fry line in Leuze-en-Hainaut. The line is expected to be operational early in 2018

---->Update 2017-01-26: This News Item has been withdrawn by the KU Leuven.....
8,000 native potato varieties of the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru will soon join the banana collection of the University of Leuven.

Jan van Luchene of Bruwier Potatoes, a Belgian company specialized in acquiring and delivering the potatoes you need offers his view of the current potato market in Belgium and Europe.

On the January 1, 2017 the RUCIP European Committee secretariat will be effectively transferred from Paris to Brussels. From the same date a new set of Rules and Practices of the Inter-European Trade in Potatoes (RUCIP) will also start to apply.

Farm Frites, a Dutch family business specializing in fries and potato products, has been presented with a charity voucher worth €2,000 after winning The Golden Fry competition, held by TOMRA Sorting Food, a leading provider of sensor-based food sorting machines.

Belgian pre-fried and frozen potato products manufacturer Agristo is teaming up with Egemin Automation for the third time in a row for the construction of a new, fully automated high-bay deepfreeze warehouse.

TOMRA Sorting Food has launched a new way of naming its food sorting machines to bring clarity and simplicity to the way its next generation of sorters can be identified and specified by customers.

In 2004, Tummers Food Processing introduced the Zic-Zac brushing technique for brushing potatoes and tuberous plants after steam peeling. This technique now has been improved.

The official NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) harvest estimation has been adjusted downward to 24.551.000 tons, which is 3 % lower than last year and 3,6 % than the 5 years average.

The 18th edition of the Interpom | Primeurs once again set a new record with 19 938 visitors from no less than 55 different countries, illustrating the growing interest for this event far beyond the Belgian borders.

Dewulf, specialist in harvesting technology for potatoes and carrots, introduces the Kwatro Xtreme as a solution for growers who plant in 4 x 90 cm rows or 1800 mm beds.

Key Technology introduces VERYX® digital sorters, optimized for potato strips and specialty potato products.

In order to meet the global population’s growing demand for food, research by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) predicts that the worldwide food manufacturing and processing industries need to increase their total output by 70 per cent by 2050.

Key Technology strengthens support of European food processors with the opening of a new customer visit center – The Innovation and Solutions Center – in Hasselt, Belgium.

As a result of the late potato harvest in the North-western European countries (BE, DE, FR, NL, UK), the potato growers organisation NEPG has decided to postpone publication of its annual yield estimates till the third week of November.