News on The Potato Supply Chain from Asia

The Sri Lanka government introduces guaranteed price for potatoes, onions and dried chili to stimulate growth of the agricultural sector, achieving national food security.

The Agribusiness Project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) organized a week-long training on Seed Potato Production Technologies in Pakistan.

Afghanistan would be self-sufficient in potato if proper cultivation and storage strategies were introduced in central Bamyan province, according to an official.

Potato production in West Bengal is likely to be lower by 10-15 per cent on ‘late blight’ in a quarter of the growing districts.

Emsland Group has announced that Henk Jaap Meijer will be participating as speaker at CMT's 3rd Starch World 2014 on 17-19 Feb, 2014 to be held at Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, Indonesia.

The humble potato has become a factor in Turkey's political and economic turmoil as prices of the staple soar, hurting the living standards of poorer Turks just before the ruling AK Party's toughest election test in a decade.

The continued accumulation of heavy frost on plants for the past few days is feared to have damaged 75% of the tomato crop in the district of Karnal, while potato growers may have suffered losses over 20%.

Export of fresh potato crop from Pakistan has started and the volumes are likely to expand because of increased estimated output and strong foreign demand.

Agristo signed an agreement with West Coast Fine Foods for the distribution of its frozen potato Products in India

The government of the Indian State Uttar Pradesh is giving a final shape to its proposed potato development Policy. Uttar Pradesh is looking to augment potato production by 35 percent to achieve 18 million tonnes

Even though farmers in Koraput district have decided to take up potato farming in wake of the recent potato crisis, there are not enough stock of potato seeds in the district.

In Bangladesh, hoarders and wholesalers have started lifting huge quantities of potatoes from cold storages in the district Dinajpur as prices of the vegetable are rising fast in the local markets.

Bending over backwards following pressure from other states and agitations by traders' associations there, the West Bengal government Monday relaxed its ban on export of potatoes

Since potato prices in West Bengal are fixed by state government, smuggling of potatoes to surrounding Indian states that do not have fixed potato prices has become a major issue.

West Bengal state government today started selling potato at Rs 13 a kilo, a price pegged by chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on a day potato traders in Bengal began a 3-day strike to protest the administration’s ban on selling the tuber to other states.

Despite well distributed rainfall in the monsoon, West Bengal, one of the most important potato growing zones in India, is likely to have major down fall in potato yield in next crop season. Courtesy- prevailing post monsoon meteorological disturbances.

Potato prices have almost doubled in most parts of India over the past one week. While most states are yet to take steps to check the spike in prices, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has called a meeting on October 30 to review the situation.

Food industry buyers and professionals in Burma received their first taste of U.S. frozen and dehydrated potato products with the United States Potato Board’s (USPB) participation in the U.S. Food &Beverage Agent Show.