News on Potato Trade

A survey done in 20 counties in Kenya released earlier this month, shows that Potato Cyst Nematode infestation has reached 80 to 100 per cent in some of the potato growing areas.

A couple of seed potato companies from Quebec, together with the Centre de Recherche Les Buissons (CRLB) have started an initiative to export high quality seed potatoes to Latin America and the Caribbean.

With their product rotting, potato growers in Indian East Punjab are suffering huge losses and Jalandhar Potato Growers Association (JPGA) has demanded urgent export of potatoes to Pakistan and availability of express rail rakes for transporting their produce to southern states.

Zimbabwe has run out of potatoes for making potato chips, prompting potato chips manufacturer Hanawa Super Foods to request an import permit to buy potatoes from South Africa from the Industry and Commerce ministry.

The National Potato Council (NPC) applauded the Trump Administration’s announcement today to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The potato disease Dickeya can be detected by laboratory testing — but is there enough of it present to justify the higher costs? That is the question facing Canadian Seed Potato Growers exporting to the United States who are increasingly asked for the test.

For almost 50 years, Bernie White has grown potatoes in the rich, red, volcanic soil of Trentham, the traditional potato patch in Victoria, Australia. Now he doesn't know if his farm has a future.

Japan's potato chip shortage is rapidly developing into a crisis, with consumers rushing to stock up on what little is left in supermarkets and manufacturers struggling to find fresh supplies.

Alan Parker looked out onto the farm business he had spent his entire life establishing. The West Australian seed potato grower will know in the next six weeks whether his lifelong career will continue.

President Adam Barrow has lifted a ban on the import of onions and potatoes into the West-African country Gambia.

The National Potato Council (NPC) has sent a letter to President Trump with suggestions how the NAFTA agreement can be improved to benefit the potato trade.

The Potatoes USA international marketing committee met prior to the Annual Meeting in Denver March 15 & 16. The committee heard how U.S. potato exports have grown 183% in the past 20 years and now account for close to 20% of production.

The Canadian Horticultural Council has received over $274,000 in Growing Forward 2 funding to help expand markets for Canadian potatoes.

Potato stock levels in Great Britain at the end of January 2017 were at a similar level as at the same time in 2016, despite a four-year low yield, according an AHDB survey of grower stocks.

The office for Inspection and Quarantine in Jining city (Shandong province, China), recently handled papers regarding the import of seed potatoes from the United States, one of the very first introductions of US seed potatoes into China in recent years.

Under the provocative slogan 'Making the European Potato Trade great again! (it’s gonna be huge, it’s gonna be great, it’s true!)', the Europatat Congress 2017 will focus on two major current issues for the potato sector: plant health and trade.

Last week the Brazilian Government has decided to impose an anti-dumping duty on frozen potatoes (tariff code 2004.10.00; mostly frozen french fries) imported from Germany, Belgium, France and The Netherlands. The level and duration of the anti-dumping duties are not yet published.

Jan van Luchene of Bruwier Potatoes, a Belgian company specialized in acquiring and delivering the potatoes you need offers his view of the current potato market in Belgium and Europe.