Potato News from Northern America

David Douches, a professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and director of the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, has been at the forefront of the potato’s transition as people get more adventurous with their eating habits.

Manitoba’s potato sector is gearing up to supply an expanding industry but seed supplies will be tight after a tough harvest last season. A number of producers are planning capital upgrades to keep up with the rise in demand.

Bühler Aeroglide, a global leader in thermal process engineering and technology for food, feed, and industrial materials, has announced the appointment of Andreas Kratzer, PhD, as new President and CEO, effective April 1, 2019.

UK vegetable harvesting and handling equipment manufacturer, Scotts Precision Manufacturing, is celebrating after receiving its biggest ever order from Canada.

Spring is just now beginning to shine in much of eastern Oregon and Washington. A winter of record snowfall left the ground frozen or flooded much later than normal. As a result, farmers are getting a late start on their crops.

An analysis of the latest Nielsen data provided by the Private Label Manufacturing Association reveals that private label dollar volume in the mass retail channel surged +41% over the last five years, compared to a gain of only +7.4% for national brands.

Penobscot McCrum is planning to build a new potato processing plant at the site of a long-closed potato factory in Washburn, Maine.

According to reporting by CNBC, Kraft Heinz is considering the sale of its Ore-Ida potato brand in order to pay down its debt

Nick and Kimberly Marckwald wanted to open a restaurant. Then came the day in 2015 when they were selling a lot of potato chips and the restaurant was still stalled, and Nick told Kimberly he thought they had to choose. They chose the chips.

ARS Researchers studied potato tubers from the Klamath Basin in Oregon infected with the causal bacteria of zebra chip disease. They confirmed the presence of the pathogen but did not identify the sample as one of the six known varieties (haplotypes).

Late last week, Ballreich Bros. Inc. announced that it had been sold to Ballreich Snack Food Company, a newer investor group formed by northwest Ohio business professionals who want to keep the company thriving.

During SNAXPO19 in Orlando, SNAC International honoured Terry Groff, former President & CEO of Reading Bakery Systems (RBS) by inducting him into the Circle of Honor.

A New Brunswick-grown industry partnership will see Grand Falls host an all-new edition of the major farming trade show AgriExpo this summer.

EarthFresh Farms announces their expansion into the Southeastern USA with an advanced technological packing plant and distribution center in Atlanta, GA.

Tuesday, April 2 in Orlando, FL, SNAC International's SNAXPO, the trade show for the snack industry, will feature the inaugural 'SNAC Tank', a pitch competition for innovative start-up snack brands.

In the latest addition to his blog (https://www.gatesnotes.com), Bill Gates highlights that in order to fight climate change, we need to look beyond decarbonizing the way we generate electricity. We need to look at agriculture for example...

Modeled after the popular TV show Shark Tank, 'SNAC Tank' will close out SNAXPO 2019, held March 31 to April 2 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando. The competition will be emceed by Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran

Supplies of potatoes from Canada’s Prince Edward Island province are very tight.