News on The Potato Supply Chain from Northern America

Potato retail sales increased 16.0% in sales but decreased in volume by -4.4% from January - March 2023 compared to the same timeframe a year ago. Despite a decrease, volume sales remain above pre-pandemic levels.

Idaho potatoes make it far into Asian markets, but Japan has yet to open its doors to the Gem State’s most famous export.

Jeff Jennings of Camden, North Carolina, was reappointed to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 15, 2023, at the organization’s Annual Meeting. Jennings is starting his sixth year on the Board and will serve his fourth year as Chair of the Finance and Policy Committee.

In a critical move towards advancing precision agriculture, AgTech startup Picketa Systems has successfully closed a CAD 1.445M (USD 1.059M) (Seed investment round. The funding will broaden the development and deployment of their real-time plant tissue analysis technology, called LENS™.

We can all agree that potatoes are America’s favorite vegetable, but a recent Potatoes USA survey investigated different regions’ preferred, nutritious ways to eat the mighty spud.

New numbers from the P.E.I. Potato Board show that on Prince Edward Island the acreage of cover crops grown before potatoes has doubled.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) was declared the Grand Champion at the National Agri-Marketing Association’s (NAMA) award show held on April 26 in St. Louis, MO for its public relations campaign Frites by Idaho.

Potatoes USA, the marketing and promotion Board for the potato industry, elected new leadership during its Annual Meeting on March 15, 2023.

The 2023 Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show (CPMA 2023) held last week in Toronto is CPMA’s biggest show in its history with over 4200 people attending the event.

Two years ago, the Potato Research Advisory Committee (PRAC) identified and wrote letters of support for a project known as 'The Potato Virus Initiative: Developing Solutions'.

The widespread popularity of potatoes as America’s favorite vegetable naturally leads to their frequent appearance in the press. However, occasional misinformation can jeopardize the potato’s reputation.

In 2014, Charlottetown-based research scientist Bourlaye Fofana was looking for a way to make plant products healthier by adding the antioxidant selenium.

The device has the potential to transform the way that farmers detect and manage plant diseases, leading to more efficient and sustainable agriculture practices.

The World Potato Congress Inc. is now calling for proposals from parties interested in hosting the 14th World Potato Congress to be held in 2028.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) and the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) have announced a multi-year partnership making fresh Idaho® potatoes the first vegetable to participate in the ADA’s esteemed, Better Choices for Life program.

In 2022, United States potato exports reached a record USD 2.1 billion in sales. Compared to 2021, volume sales declined -4.2% but were higher than 2018 and 2020 (fresh weight equivalent).

At the Annual General Meeting on March 13th, CEO of Kroeker Farms in Manitoba, Wayne Rempel was elected as the new Chair of the United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC) after serving several years as the Secretary.

Painting Easter potatoes? Why not? Families love their tried-and-true Easter traditions, but sometimes, you just need to scramble things up - and save some money in the process...