News on Potato Storage

The Maine Potato Board is pleased to announce the 2013 Farm Family of the Year - the Wayne and Gregg Garrison family of Blaine.

Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella) populations are on the increase across southern Europe, particularly around Mediterranean basin, and are likely to lead to significant in-store losses and threaten the trade of infected tubers.

The variable weather conditions in the United Kingdom, leading to a dramatic drop in potato stocks made 2012 the worst year in living memory for growers.

The National Potato Council is investigating options to restore USDA potato stocks estimates cut due to budget sequestration, including industry funding to cover the work or identifying offsetting cuts to less important potato reports.

Some farmers on P.E.I. are dealing with the problem of potatoes rotting in storage this winter and growers in the western part of the province are especially hard hit.

Cold storages in West Bengal are struggling to stay afloat because of the state government’s refusal to let them raise rent.

The Bengal state government may opt to defer a rise in the price of potato cold storage in light of the fact that an election is coming. Any rise in prices is unlikely to be popular with the electorate.

Idaho potato growers will vote Monday in Burley on contracts with McCain Foods and J.R. Simplot Co. paying a 1.6 percent average increase, according to sources involved in negotiations.

Lance Hapka, a process potato grower from Argyle, Minnesota became the 64th Chairman of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association at NPPGA's annual meeting last Tuesday.

American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, AMVAC Chemical Corporation (AMVAC), has received registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for SmartBlock®, a novel potato sprout inhibitor.

The dire weather conditions this winter has thrown at potato growers in the United Kingdom has created a harvest that has been far more challenging than the industry has seen for many years.

Because labourers are becoming an ever-scarcer commodity, today’s farmer requires customised machines that perfectly match the way he works. In order to meet this need, Miedema has formed a new department: Miedema Smart Solutions.

Wholesale potato prices in West Bengal softened by nearly 15 per cent this week, due to arrival of new crop.

Potato and vegetable machinery exporter, the APH Group, moved its corporate headquarters from Joure to Heerenveen (both in the Netherlands) on January 5th 2013.

United States Potato Processors used less potatoes so far this season, compared to the same period last year. The amount of potatoes in stock at December 1, 2012, was up 11 percent compared with last year.

The 16th edition of INTERPOM | PRIMEURS in Kortrijk Xpo shot past the record-breaking number of visitors at the last event: with an amazing 17 678 visitors this year, INTERPOM | PRIMEURS clocked up a spectacular 25.7% more visitors.

In West Bengal, the joint committee of potato cold storage association has threatened to shut down their units if the state government fails to increase the rent by at least 50 per cent in the wake of hike in electricity tariff.

Conveyor belt supplier Wellwaij Belting uses the Interpom Primeurs to highlight its needle belt to transport potatoes with minimal damage.