News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices

Drought and hot conditions since September 2015 have a negative impact on yields in almost all the potato production regions in South Africa. Currently market prices are at the highest levels ever, while potato stock levels are at record low levels.

The price of potatoes in Jordan is expected to increase as a significant acreage of the field crop was damaged when temperatures dipped below zero last week.

Costa Rica's Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE) has informed USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) that it will begin issuing import permits for US chipping potatoes beginning February 1, 2016.

Pakistan is expected to have a bumper potato crop this season, which can fetch a record foreign exchange, said an official of Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFSR).

Over three days in February 2016 at Berlin’s Messe, the worldwide fresh produce industry will be able to meet leading potato and horticulture organisations on the large Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) stand.

As farmers in Pakistan are getting ready for the harvest, false rumors are spread that the Pakistani government has imposed duty on the export of potatoes.

Potato Cooperative Agrico held its central members’ meeting last week. At this meeting the 2014/2015 annual report was discussed.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica is to conduct research trials on 15 new varieties of imported Irish potato over the next three months, to determine their suitability for local conditions.

Dutch Potato Packer Nedato reports that its long term plan to improve potato quality pays off.

128 containers with around 4.000 tonnes of potatoes from Lebanon destined for Arab Gulf states have been stopped in Port Said, Egypt or have already been returned to Lebanon.

Based on a review of the recently released Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) agreement text, the National Potato Council (NPC) strongly supports the trade deal reached with
Australia, Brunei, Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore
and Vietnam.

Farms in Tajikistan have produced some 475,000 tons of potatoes in the first 10 months of this year, nearly 72,000 tons more than in the same period last year.

UK Seed potato exports are booming with big strides being made to open even more new markets.

American Lorain Corporation (NYSE MKT: ALN) an international processed snack foods, convenience foods, and frozen foods company based in Shandong Province, China, today announces that its French fries sales have contributed over 20 million RMB (about 3.1 million USD, 2.9 million EUR) to the revenues so far in 2015.

Los productores plantean la creación de esta herramienta, bien a nivel nacional o sólo para CyL, con el fin de poder organizar la oferta y hacer frente a la competencia de Francia.

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service regularly reports on various agricultural topics around the world. In GAIN report CH15036 published in September 2015, the production of potatoes and potato products in China as well as imports and exports are highlighted.

The Dutch Association of Arable Farmers of (VTA) finds an average yield of 53.622 kg/ha, 8% below last year and on par with the 5-year average. Although tubers are large this season, the VTA predicts low factory yields as a result of a host of quality issues, resulting in an increased demand for potatoes per ton finished product.

This year, potato yields should be slightly above average in the Canadian prairie provinces Manitoba and Alberta, but figures aren’t available because the harvest is only 10 to 15 percent complete.