News on Potato Varieties and Seed

Montevideo will host the 31st ALAP Congress 2027, in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Latin American Potato Association.

Madhya Pradesh is emerging as a strategic hub for India’s French fry potato industry, driven by early harvests, suitable soil conditions, rising processor-grade cultivation, and expanding cold storage and agro-processing infrastructure.

FAO announced International Day of Potato 2026 theme 'Where potatoes grow, livelihoods flourish', highlighting role of potatoes in food security and farmer livelihoods. Focus on smallholders, resilient value chains, climate and pest challenges.

Royal HZPC Group CEO Hans Huistra joined Narendra Modi and top Dutch CEOs in The Hague to strengthen India–Netherlands cooperation, reinforcing HZPC’s growing strategic presence in India.

Grimmway Produce Group launches a unified corporate website, bringing its brands under one platform. The site highlights products, careers, and impact, marking a new phase of growth, integration, and engagement.

Europatat welcomes MEDIPO AGRAS H.B. spol. s r.o., a Czech potato specialist with 30+ years of expertise in seed, ware and processing potatoes, offering over 100 potato varieties across Europe.

To combat the decline in the number of growers and in domestic production, the government is authorizing trials with GMO varieties, a disruptive move by European standards.

PotatoEurope 2026 will return to Germany on September 9-10, 2026, at the Rittergut Gestorf estate near Hanover, showcasing the latest technology and innovations in potato cultivation and processing.

Chip potato movement remains slow and steady as the industry transitions from storage potatoes to new-crop potatoes.

The visit by a delegation from Qinghai University and Yunnan Agricultural University is focused on academic exchange, technological advancement, and the development of joint projects.

In the Netherlands, the weak table potato market, fewer contracts and disappointing exports are putting pressure on the seed potato market. HZPC and Agrico describe the current situation as a market correction following exceptionally strong years.

Researchers at Michigan State University have developed five new potato varieties designed to strengthen the United States potato chip supply through improved disease resistance, storage performance and processing reliability.

Potatoes in Practice 2026, Scotland's largest field-based potato event, will take place on Thursday, August 13, at The James Hutton Institute's Balruddery Farm in Invergowrie, near Dundee.

Bangladesh launches its first international-standard frozen French fries, 'Gloryfry' developed by Planten Agro Limited and Alimento. Using Edison potatoes from Solana Group, it aims to cut imports and boost exports.

Potato seeds rarely make national headlines. Yet in China's western highlands, they are becoming a strategic asset. For years, discussions about food security have focused on acreage, yields and imports.

Aardappeldemodag has started planting activities for Aardappeldemodag 2026, with 2.5 hectares of the potato variety Libra planted last week.

Kazakhstan’s Pavlodar region and China’s Snow Valley plan a USD 100–200 million potato processing complex. The project will produce fries, support breeding, and build logistics, boosting value-added output, jobs, and agricultural capacity.

Wageningen University & Research starts new field trials with genetically modified potatoes. The potatoes tested in these field trials have been genetically modified by adding or switching off multiple genes.