Potato News from Europe

Sources say that in Moldova, growing potatoes has become completely unprofitable. Sown areas today have decreased by a quarter compared to 2018, and due to the lack of rainfall, growers have to spend extra on irrigation systems.

Scientists from Solynta and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have published the most complete genome sequence for potatoes to date. A unique aspect is that both sequence and plant material are made available for research.

The Beleef Avebe Jubilee Festival was held on 13-15 September. A connecting festivity for members and employees. The production location in Ter Apelkanaal and the farm of an Avebe member in Eerste Exloërmond welcomed around three thousand visitors.

Chinese delegation confirms UK seed potato exports to the world's most populous country won't be affected either Brexit outcome. British seed potatoes will continue to be accepted by Chinese customs whatever the outcome of Brexit, according to AHDB.

Together with its partners, Equipment Manufacturer Kiremko delivered and installed a complete potato processing line capable of producing a variety of pasteurized potato products.

In Ireland, dryer weather is welcomed this week by areas where harvesting conditions are problematic, particularly Donegal. This dry period will hopefully aid the digging of the main Rooster crop. National Potato Day takes place on October 4th this year.

The Lincolnshire Agricultural Equipment Manufacturer Scotts, which manufactures a range of vegetable harvesting machinery, celebrated its Silver anniversary on 11th September.

La organización agraria Asaja muestra su preocupación por los precios, cuya campaña arranca ahora de forma generalizada en la provincia de León, después de que estos hayan experimentado importantes caídas en los últimos días.

El alcalde de Coristanco, Juan Carlos García dio ayer inicio a la Festa da Pataca de Coristanco, que arrancó de la mejor de las maneras posibles: con una jornada técnica sobre el producto característico del municipio, muy beneficiosa para los productores.

Ibérica de Patatas lleva de nuevo a la gran distribución la patata nueva de la Comunidad de Madrid. Bajo la marca La Auténtica Patata-Especial Castiza, la compañía prevé comercializar en esta campaña unos 550.000 kilogramos.

Hace más de un mes terminó la campaña de comercialización de las últimas patatas nuevas sicilianas, almacenadas en cámaras refrigeradas. A continuación, se empezaron a comercializar en el retail siciliano las patatas de Francia.

The first of Tong Engineering’s latest Fieldloader machine, the FieldLoad PRO, is proving to bring a dramatic reduction in loading times at one of the UK’s larger vegetable producers and processors; MH Poskitt Ltd.

Recently, biogas plant builder WELTEC BIOPOWER completed a biomethane plant for ALTHO, a French manufacturer of potato chips in St. Gérand, Brittany.

Dutch-based company Aviko, one of Europe’s biggest producers of fresh, frozen, dried and specialty potato products, has announced a major investment in its production capacity in Poperinge, Belgium.

One of the three most cultivated and eaten food products in the world, the demand for potatoes continues to increase despite heightened uncertainty within the sector. Last year European potato production was hit by the worst drought in more than 40 years.

Growers, suppliers, grubbing demonstrations - everything to do with potatoes. That is what the latest edition of Potato Europe was all about. This year, this trade show was held in Doornik/Tournai, Belgium on 4 and 5 September.

Poco a poco las tortillas que están envasadas van teniendo un nivel mucho mas aceptable. Muchos son los consumidores que compran tortillas de patatas industriales. Hay muchas opiniones contrastadas sobre una gran parte de la oferta existente del mercado.

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) estimates the
forecasted potato harvest 2019 between 27 and 27,3 million tons for the
5 leading potato countries. This is 3% more than the 5 years average and
12% more than last year.