Potato News from Northern America

Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, announces the appointment of John Dykstra as Director of Service Operations for North America, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Wayne Townshend has been named chairman. Townshend has been on the board for five years serving as a seed director.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has recently confirmed the presence of potato wart in two fields on a farm in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Potato wart is a regulated quarantine pest in Canada.

Potato packer Skone & Connors installs Tong grading and washing equipment. The custom-built potato grading and washing solution enabled this US based company to increase their sizing capabilities of both dirty and washed crop, whilst reducing waste.

US potato imports for the first quarter of the July 2020 – June 2021 marketing year were up 19% in total, according to a news release issued by Potatoes USA.

McCain Foods is announcing leadership changes to its Canadian Retail Business. After a remarkable 37 years with McCain, Mike Barry, Vice President Retail Sales has decided to retire on December 31st, 2020.

PepsiCo, Inc. recently announced that Pietro Antonio Tataranni, MD has been named the company's global Chief Medical Officer. He will oversee the company's efforts to protect its global workforce, products, and communities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Duravant LLC announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Cloud Packaging Solutions from its parent company, Hearthside Food Solutions LLC.

Record potato sales continued at US retail from July through September 2020. Total store potato sales increased by 13.6% in dollar sales and 10.6% in volume sales, compared to the same time frame in 2019.

Two out of Three Consumers Plan to Stock Up on Snacks More Now Than Before the Pandemic, with Dips Seeing Dramatic Increase in Lead up to the Holidays Due to Convenience, According to Latest U.S. Snack Index

Pringles is introducing a full collection of spicy chips dedicated to their heat-loving snack fans. The new Pringles Scorchin' lineup adds fiery heat to three Pringles originals – Cheddar, BBQ, and Chili and Lime – bringing a spicy sensation to the flavors fans already know and love.

Launching new research in support of Washington potato growers, Washington State University is partnering with industry leaders to study healthier, more sustainable, and productive soils.

Snack manufacturer Utz Brands, Inc. announced the acquisition of Truco Enterprises, a leading seller of tortilla chips, salsa and queso under the ON THE BORDER brand

U.S. potato exports for the July – September quarter were down significantly compared to the same period in 2019. This drop is a result of the pandemic's continuing impact on the demand in many markets, particularly in SE Asia and Central America, and the tight supplies of U.S. frozen potato products.

From fruits and snacks to entire meal solutions, the frozen category in the USA is experiencing all-time sales highs over the past year.

During the Idaho Potato Commission's (IPC) October meeting three new Commissioners representing the grower sector of the industry were sworn in.

Velocity Snack Brands (VSB) launches two new Popchips product lines in over 2100 Kroger Co. stores in the United States to meet evolving consumer snacking habits, with further distribution to follow.

Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE: UTZ) ('Utz' or the 'Company'), a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 27, 2020.