Join us at PotatoEurope 2010 in September!
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From the Editor
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Welcome to the latest issue of our PotatoReporter Online newsletter, Colleagues - we trust that you will find the information to be of interest. The newsletter can also be viewed on our web site - please follow this link:
www.potatoreporteronline.com/newsletters.asp.
We want to remind our readers that PotatoEurope 2010 will take place 8th-9th of September at Rittergut, Bockerode near Hanover. PotatoEurope is Europe’s most significant convention of the potato industry. Full details can be found in several languages on the PotatoEurope web site at www.potatoeurope.com.
Best wishes,
Lukie Pieterse
Editor
editor@potatoreporteronline.com |
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| In the News | | | | | |  Potato consumer perceptions still improving, says US Potato Board
Recent findings from the USPB’s annual survey of consumers’ attitudes and usage of potatoes indicate the “Potatoes…Goodness Unearthed®” campaign is positively impacting consumer perceptions of potatoes. According to the 2010 results, health perceptions of potatoes continue to improve. Aggregate health attitudes toward potatoes improved by 4 share points from 2009 to 2010, with more respondents agreeing “potatoes are an important part of a well-balanced diet.”
Source: USPB
Full Article
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| In the News | | | | | | China pins food-security hopes on the potato
In the land of rice, China is looking at an unlikely tool for maintaining growth and social harmony: the potato. The Chinese government has begun ramping up research, production and training related to the humble spud, and hopes are high that it could help alleviate poverty and serve as a bulwark against famine. "Potatoes have so much potential here," said Xie Kaiyun, a leading potato scientist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a government think tank. "Rice, wheat, corn - we've gone about as far as we can go with them. But not the potato."
Source: Washingtonpost.com
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| In the News | | | | | | Frito-Lay working to make healthier products
Frito-Lay recently announced plans to revise its offerings to make 60% of its brands healthier than its traditional lines before next fall. By the middle of next year, the company intends for half of its sales to come from products without MSG, artificial colors or artificial flavors. That's more than twice its current level, according to Al Carey, president and CEO of Frito-Lay.
Source: Wisconsinagconnection.com
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| | | | | | PepsiCo ups investment in China by $2.5 billion
PepsiCo Inc said in May it was planning to invest $2.5 billion in China over the next three years to expand its presence in the country. The company said this investment is in addition to the $1 billion that it had announced in 2008, which will be completed this year. PepsiCo plans to expand its investments in potatoes and will open five new farms for potatoes and oats, bringing advanced irrigation technology to each. PepsiCo has set up a pilot farm in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, where the company has been transforming desert into fertile potato farmland with modern technology.
Source: Ibtimes.com
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| | | | | | McCain cutting back on shifts in North America
One of Portage la Prairie's (Canada) major employers aims to cut back on its shifts this summer. McCain Foods Ltd. will cut one shift from its potato processing plant in Portage effective with the new crop year in mid-August. The move will affect about 30 people. "The reason for this action is that we are experiencing a softness in our export business," McCain spokeswoman Calla Farn said. "This has been caused by a number of factors including the continuing strong Canadian dollar, the low cost of potatoes in Europe, and a softness in U.S. consumption." Farn pointed out that the entire North American potato industry is being affected by the aftershocks of the global recession.
Source: Heraldleader.com
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| In the News | | | | | | Belarussian govt to boost potato sector
The agricultural industry of Belarus can be a reliable source of foreign currency revenues, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Ivan Bambiza said at a joint session of the two chambers of the National Assembly and members of the government of Belarus on 28 May. He said that Belarus should reduce the import of potato products to the maximum. He said that one of the main reasons hampering the development of the industry is the absence of advanced potato-storage facilities. By the end of 2010 Belarus intends to complete the program to construct potato storage facilities.
Source: Isria.com
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| In the News | | | | | | Canada's export of potato products down 11% in first quarter
Canada exported 14.0 million cwt of potatoes and potato products during the January-March quarter. According to the editor of North American Potato Market News (NAPMN), Bruce Huffaker, that fell 1.7 million cwt short of the 2009 pace, a 10.7% decline. The US took 93.2% of the Canadian fresh potato exports. That is down from a 96.3% the previous year, Mr Huffaker said. Only two other markets took more than 40,000 cwt of potatoes during the quarter - Venezuela and Indonesia. Canada’s frozen potato product exports fell 75 million lbs short of the 2009 pace. Seed potato exports from Canada exceeded the 2009 pace, though. The increase was driven by a 23.6% increase in sales to the US. The surge in seed exports may have more to do with timing than with the total volume of seed sold this year.
Source: NAPMN
| | | | | | 'Potato export from Israel to Europe could be reduced by 30%'
According to Israel largest vegetable enterprise in western Negev, " Export to Europe could be reduced by 30% due to the economic crisis. Creating a safety net is essential to prevent skipping planting during the upcoming season. " About 1500 hectares of land in the western Negev and the livelihood of thousands of people is in danger. The European crisis and the Euro rate deterioration can result in extensive damage for the upcoming season.
Source: Freshplaza.com
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| | | | | | Potatoes South Africa seeks tariff to stem frozen fry imports
Potatoes SA, representing about 650 commercial potato growers in South Africa, is working on an application to support a 20 percent import tariff increase on frozen french fries to curb imports of processed potato products, according to Potatoes SA chief executive Mark du Plessis. The tariff has the backing of potato processors including McCain, Lamberts Bay Foods and Natures Choice. Over 35 000 tons of frozen french fries were imported in 2007, Du Plessis said.
Source: Busrep.co.za
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| | | | | | Record volume in Finnish potato exports to St. Petersburg
Record amounts of Finnish potatoes are being delivered to shops in St. Petersburg this year. Reasons for the surge include the better quality of Finnish potatoes, and the low producer prices. “So far we have delivered more than 500 lorry loads of food potatoes to St. Petersburg from different parts of Finland. It began in October. In the coming days, the 12 million kilo level will be reached”, says Aki Aunola, CEO of the potato-handling company Luonnosta Oy.
Source: hs.fi
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| | | | | | Canadian-Panama free trade agreement to allow duti-free frozen potato access
Canadian potato growers received a boost to their export market when the country signed a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Panama on May 14, according to a report by the National Potato Council in the US. Specifically, the FTA gives Canadian frozen potatoes immediate duty-free access to Panama. Prior to the agreement, Panama imposed a 20% "most favored nation" tariff on frozen potatoes from Canada, a tariff which continues to apply to the United States.
Source: National Potato Council US
Full Article
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| In the News | | | | | | Trials show yield and quality benefits for foliar treated potatoes
Applying foliar magnesium and phosphate to potatoes can help growers achieve better yields, according to research. The trials, conducted in the UK and Holland by Headland, also found crops given the nutrients had a greater proportion of quality, marketable tubers. Charlie Bannister, technical manager for foliar nutrition at Headland Agrochemicals, said: "We expected some yield benefits over untreated, but the difference was much greater than we had thought."
Source: FWI
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| | | | | | Pepsi to take contract farming to troubled Indian states
What PepsiCo started as a pre-condition to its entry in India is today its most welcomed programme. When it entered India in 1989, the Indian government had made it mandatory for the company to do contract farming in the country, to help farmers improve crop yield through adoption of latest agricultural technologies. The company started commercial contract farming with potato farmers in Punjab in 2001 and gradually took it to West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. Today, it is is engaged with 22,000 farmers in contract farming to procure potato, paddy, barley, tomato and chillies. It is now planning to take contract farming to Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
Source: news.in.msn.com
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| | | | | | Fiji launches potato farming to reduce imports
Potato farming has been launched in Fiji in an effort to reduce the country’s potato imports that currently stand at $17 million. At the launching at Navai in Nadarivatu, agriculture minister Joketani Cokanasiga said government, through its "import substitution program" aimed to reduce this figure.
Source: Allheadlinenews.com
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| | | | Research | | | | | | Moth larvae saliva boosts spud yields
When a major South American pest infests potato tubers, the plant produces bigger spuds, reports a study by Cornell, University of Goettingen and National University of Colombia researchers. The secret is in the spit, write the researchers online in the journal Ecological Applications. When the larvae infested fewer than 10 percent of the tubers, the plant produced marketable yields (after infested tubers were removed) that weighed 2.5 times more than undamaged plants, according to the study. The findings have implications for potato farmers, as the compound, once isolated, could lead to considerably higher yields in some varieties of potatoes.
Source: rdmag.com
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| In the News | | | | | | Cold spell reduces aphid risk for British seed potatoes
Seed potato crops could face a relatively low virus risk from aphids this year as forecasts suggest they will be appearing late and in low numbers. Potato aphids are two weeks later than last year because of the cold weather. The Rothamsted Insect Survey showed that the first potato aphid suction trap captures are expected to fall during the second week of June.
Source: Hortweek.com
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| In the News | | | | | | Alert after Dutch potato disease found in Scotland
THE discovery of a highly infectious crop disease in a field of potatoes near Coupar Angus has shocked Scottish seed potato growers in May. Dickeya solani causes the tubers and haulm to rot, and outbreaks in England have been linked to purchases of seed potatoes from the Netherlands, which has suffered several outbreaks.
Source: Scotsman.com
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| | | | | | Hopes that potato disease in Scotland has been safely contained
WITH the reverberations surrounding the finding of an infectious potato disease in Scotland still rattling around the industry, NFU Scotland vice-president Allan Bowie said he was pleased by the commitment of those involved that they would not bring in any other uncertified samples of the variety. "There is a great deal at risk," he said, referring to the potential loss to the Scottish potato industry if the disease, Dickeya solani, spreads to other potato crops.
Source: business.scotsman.com
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| | | | Research | | | | | | DNA testing to strengthen Australian potato industry
Australia’s $500m potato industry will benefit from new DNA tests that can quickly and accurately measure major disease-causing agents. The tests, developed by scientists from South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), identify pathogens that can threaten the supply and quality of potatoes. SARDI pathologist Robin Harding said a big advantage with DNA testing was that one sample could be used to test for a range of diseases, significantly reducing the required time to test for diseases, and information is available within weeks.
Source: Borderwatch.com
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| In the News | | | | | | All systems go in fight against potato blight in Ireland
Met Eireann issued its first potato blight warning of the current season last Wednesday. Conditions favouring the spread of blight were predicted up to Friday in the south, west and northwest of the country. This is the cue to start your control programme on crops where the canopy is developing. In recent years an increased level of early blight has been detected, particularly in the south and southeast of Ireland.
Source: Independent.ie
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| In the News | | | | | | GMO potatoes: 'European farmers being isolated in the new growing revolution'
Resistance and consumer anxiety about growing GM crops has effectively isolated farmers in Europe from the latest farming revolution, writes agricultural editor of EDP24, Michael Pollitt. It was almost 20 years ago that potato farmers at a Cambridge conference were told about the exciting potential of GM technology. As the latest trial involving 192 genetically-modified potatoes at the John Innes Centre in the UK opens a new chapter in the debate, many farmers are wondering if Europe is ever going to enter the race.
Source: Edp24.co.uk
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| | | | | | Leading British scientist's plea over GM technology
A leading scientist at a world-renowned Norfolk food research centre has said that it's time 'to grow up' over the possible beneficial impact of GM technology. The comments of Professor Jonathan Jones, group leader at the John Innes Centre's Sainsbury laboratory, come at the start of a Norwich GM potato trial that looks to use the controversial technology to boost food worldwide production.
Source: Edp24.co.uk
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| | | | Research | | | | | | Sainsbury Lab forging ahead with late blight GMO trial
Following a public consultation, Defra has given approval to the Sainsbury Laboratory (John Innes) to conduct a research trial this year of GM potatoes. The research is on potatoes that have been genetically modified to resist late potato blight. The Sainsbury Laboratory application has been evaluated by the independent expert group the Advisory Committee of Releases to the Environment (ACRE). It is satisfied that the proposed trial will not result in any adverse effect on human health or the environment.
Source: Foodeast.com
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