News on The Potato Supply Chain

On May 1, Gary Roth started as the new Executive Director of the Oregon Potato Commission (OPC).

After discussions with the government, the Pepsico India has agreed to withdraw the cases against the potato farmers. In April Pepsico sued four farmers for cultivating a potato variety - FC5 - grown exclusively for its popular Lay's potato chips.

La demanda interna del mercado bordea los 5 millones de toneladas, pero sólo se produce 1.1 millón de t, el resto ingresa por la vía de contrabando e importación.

Papas de la nueva variedad Kawsay se vendieron en supermercados por primera vez este año. Kawsay tiene el potencial de mejorar los ingresos y la seguridad alimentaria de las comunidades, además es de alto rendimiento y gran resistencia al tizón tardío.

In his presentation at the the 2018 Potato Expo, Dr. Chad Hutchinson discusses the benefits of using Chloropicrin in potato production. Chloropicrin increases production efficiency, profit potential for potato growers, and it also improves soil health.

Many potato store operators could make significant savings in energy costs if they obtained more usage data to make informed decisions, according to Ray Andrews of Crop Systems Limited.

David Douches, a professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and director of the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, has been at the forefront of the potato’s transition as people get more adventurous with their eating habits.

Manitoba’s potato sector is gearing up to supply an expanding industry but seed supplies will be tight after a tough harvest last season. A number of producers are planning capital upgrades to keep up with the rise in demand.

The legal battle between a number of potato farmers in Gujarat accused of illegally growing a proprietary variety and food and beverage manufacturer PepsiCo India may be headed for an out-of-court settlement.

UK vegetable harvesting and handling equipment manufacturer, Scotts Precision Manufacturing, is celebrating after receiving its biggest ever order from Canada.

The latest estimates from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show British potato stock levels were down 13 per cent on the five-year average. However, comparable to other tight supply seasons, they were a little higher.

Spring is just now beginning to shine in much of eastern Oregon and Washington. A winter of record snowfall left the ground frozen or flooded much later than normal. As a result, farmers are getting a late start on their crops.

The opening of a new potato processing plant in Engineer town, Nyandarua county (Kenya) offers new opportunities for local potato farmers.

The Environment Agency in the UK has already declared irrigation prospects ‘moderate to poor’ in the East of England – in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. AHDB offers suggestions to place farmers in a stronger position this summer.

Potato growers near Pemberton in Western Australia have been forced to leave more than a thousand tonnes of potatoes on the ground to rot because of oversupply and crippling low prices.

Leading farmers unions and rights advocacy groups have demanded that the PepsiCo immediately withdraw all legal suits it has slapped on many potato farmers in different districts of Gujarat.

Irish potatoes have prevented another major humanitarian food crisis in one of the poorest and most remote parts of Ethiopia, according to aid organization Concern Worldwide.

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) have estimated that the upcoming area for
consumption potatoes in 2019 will increase between 1 and 2 % towards almost 604.000 ha in the 5
main production countries.