Potato News from Asia

Japan’s potato chip lovers, beware: Your favourite snacks may become harder to find. The country’s worst potato harvest in at least 34 years has prompted major snack makers to halt production of several types of snacks.

Potato Flakes are commonly used in households worldwide for convenient preparation of Instant Mash Potato. Industrial
food processors also use potato flakes as an ingredient in the production of potato snack foods.

A day after a potato farmer allegedly committed suicide after suffering heavy losses, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the West Bengal govt will purchase 28,000 tonnes of potatoes for government meal programs in health centers and schools

Cambodia’s eastern Mondulkiri province will become the country’s first hub for potato growing after a successful pilot project, according to Cheang Hong of the Potato Research Center at the Royal University of Agriculture

The Kurdish Ministry of Agriculture predicts that farmers will plant more than 15,000 tons of seed potatoes in mid-February, increasing the amount of potatoes produced in the region.

The office for Inspection and Quarantine in Jining city (Shandong province, China), recently handled papers regarding the import of seed potatoes from the United States, one of the very first introductions of US seed potatoes into China in recent years.

Leading food sorting systems manufacturer TOMRA Sorting Food has launched its first customer service center in Istanbul, Turkey, to expand further into the country and beyond to the Middle East.

Gujarat's Banaskantha district has mashed Agra (Uttar Pradesh) in potato production, taking the No. 1 rank in India.

The potato variety Sarpo Mira, highly resistant to late blight, is getting popular among farmers in the main potato-growing areas of Bangladesh, according to both farmers and officials.

Starting next week, McDonald’s Japan will offer daigaku imo French fries. Daigaku Imo litterally means “college potato”.
It is a popular sweet potato snack with a sweet sauce, and allegedly gets its unusual name from being a hit with cash-strapped students looking for a cheap yet tasty bite.

PepsiCo identified Myanmar as a potential hub for growing potatoes, thanks to its rich, fertile lands and favorable climate.

Japan's Calbee has introduced a potato chip product about 70% cheaper than what's already on sale in the Philippines. By reducing the size of the bags, the company cut the price to 10 pesos, compared to the 30 pesos to 40 pesos for the larger size bags.

The (Dutch) project ‘Growing out of poverty with the potato’ is trying to make Vietnam self-sufficient in the production of potatoes.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Askar Myrzakhmetov on January 25 met with representatives of the Dutch company Farm Frites which plans to build a plant for production of frozen fried potatoes in the northeast of Kazakhstan.

The Netherlands is exploring the possibility of starting a programme to grow salt-tolerant potatoes in Pakistan.

Latest industry research reveals growing demand for new and innovative F&B products

The Hassan Horticulture Research Extension Station of the University of Horticultural Sciences-Bagalkot (UHS-B) in Karnataka, India, is all set to introduce 35 new varieties of potatoes in the next one to three years.

Potato farming in the Indian state Gujarat has reached an all-time high with over 18 per cent more planting compared to last year.