News on Food Trends

Freezing temperatures around Ireland over the past week has damaged many early potato crops.

Patatas Meléndez, la empresa vallisoletana líder en el sector de la patata fresca, lanza su campaña de patata nueva nacional. Así, se adelanta con la patata temprana y la pone a disposición de los consumidores en toda su red de distribución retail (supermercados y su propia tienda online).

Due to the positive response and over-subscription of virtual meetings, Bühler has decided to keep the Bühler Virtual World open at least until the end of May. Over the three days, more than 12,000 people from 132 countries visited the digital platform, around 500 private meetings are ongoing.

Tasmanian potato growers, who produce the bulk of Australia’s French fries, are having a disastrous harvest. Months of wet weather is making it impossible to get onto paddocks in parts of the state.

Un total de 25 tiendas y 20 agricultores se han sumado a la campaña de la Diputación de Palencia para fomentar el consumo de patata de la provincia y apoyar a vendedores y cultivadores para dar salida a este producto que no se ha podido comercializar debido a la covid-19.

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is to study wild potato varieties for resistance to a wide range of potato-diseases and plagues. This broad approach should yield breeding material that can be used to develop disease-free potato varieties.

McCain Foods confirmed that layoffs have occurred at its Carberry potato processing plant in an email sent by the company to the Sun on Wednesday.

The National Potato Council has welcomed USDA’s announcement of a $50 million surplus potato purchase to support the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

GIC, which designs and manufactures vertical form fill and seal machines, has seen orders more than double year on year.

COVID-19 has shaken the whole world-impacting society and the global economy similar to the effect of a world war.

The FAO Food Price Index* (FFPI) averaged 165.5 points in April 2020, down 5.7 points (3.4 percent) from March and the lowest since January 2019.

As consumers increasingly turn online for their food and beverage needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, PepsiCo, Inc. announced the launch of PantryShop.com and Snacks.com, two direct-to-consumer websites where shoppers can order an assortment of PepsiCo's brands.

In just six weeks, Bühler transformed its physical interpack program into a fully digital experience. It has certainly been a very steep learning curve for the company, but one that will give Bühler’s partners and customers access to new services.

This year, this is a season when dreams die. Due to an epic potato glut that imploded his market, he has decided to do what was once unthinkable — destroy part of his crop rather than sink more dollars into cultivation.

Potato chip-maker Utz Quality Foods is in talks to be acquired by Collier Creek Holdings, a company started by former Blackstone Group Inc. executives, according to people familiar with the matter.

The foodservice demand for potato products has dropped with 50 – 60 % and the export markets have lost their potential, so the world-wide potato-processing industry has reduced their capacity and need for raw material. More than 2 million tons will probably not been processed in the NEPG mainland potato countries only.

Two of the most respected and well-known agricultural machinery manufacturers have announced a strategic collaboration for the UK and Ireland.

AHDB’s announcement that it is consulting on the future of the Sutton Bridge Crop Research Station, and on potato storage research more broadly, should worry every potato grower in this country.