News on The Potato Supply Chain from United Kingdom

The UK’s largest grower and supplier of potatoes, with a site at Burrelton, attended Scotland’s second largest agricultural show for the first time in order to promote its GreenVale potato brand. The company not only had an exhibition stand but were sponsoring the cookery demonstration given by Lady Clare MacDonald and supplied her with GreenVale potatoes to use in her recipes

Aughton potato grower Andrew Webster’s desire to try the science in Potato Council-funded trials to increase productivity at his own farm is to be opened up to other growers, Thursday 11 September.

Tong Peal has taken screen grading technology to the next level with the launch of a new option on all models of its market leading EasyGrade screen grading modules, designed to increase efficiency and minimise downtime for farms and pack houses.

Administrators at O'Hara & Co have managed to tie up a pre-pack deal for Holme Farm Produce safeguarding jobs and the future of the business.

Experts from the UK and India are working together to identify and develop novel environmentally-sustainable strategies to control plant pests, known as plant-parasitic nematodes to ensure global food production and security.

Potato Council has been working hard to raise the profile of potatoes amongst Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), promoting their health and sustainability credentials and creating awareness of the significant contribution they make to the Scottish economy.

Greenvale, the UK’s leading potato supplier, has been helping schools around Perth and Kinross to dig deep in a bid to educate them about the origins of the food they eat.

Cheshire potato growers gathered at Aston Grange Farm near Runcorn, at the end of June 2014, to discuss the opportunities for the local crop at Potato Council’s Cheshire Potato event.

An international team of experts led by Newcastle University has shown that organic crops are up to 60% higher in a number of key antioxidants than conventionally-grown ones.

Potato Council’s One Voice campaign is fast gaining momentum, with people from all sectors of industry getting involved and doing whatever they can to help spread positive messages about potatoes.

The West Midlands Potato Day attracted a good crowd of industry visitors on 19 June when potato grower Jonathan Bubb of J.M. Bubb & Sons hosted Potato Council’s technical field day at Lynn South Farm, Newport, Shropshire, where they grow around 400 acres of potatoes.

Vales Produce Growers , the Greenvale potato grower group, has appointed John Rix as their new Chairman.

In the United Kingdom the value of fresh potato category is growing with a 3.8% rise over the last year, while the volume of fresh potatoes sold has dropped by 8.0%. The Potato Council is figuring out what can be done about it.

Researchers at the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen have made a breakthrough in understanding how the microbial spores which cause potato blight are so effective at infecting plants.

Summer is the perfect season for a laidback lunch in the sun and what could be a better accompaniment for a BBQ or al fresco dining than a bowl of tasty, fresh new potatoes. This summer treat yourself to the freshest and best with Freshly harvested Ayrshire and East Lothian Potatoes available from Tesco stores in Scotland.

Leading UK potato supplier, Greenvale is strengthening its marketing team with the appointment of two new members of staff, Tracey Mattock who takes on the role of Marketing Manager, and Kate Wright who is the new Category Insight Manager.

In Northern Ireland, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and CAFRE, Greenmount Campus has issued the first potato blight warning for 2014.

Tong Peal has appointed Ian Evison in a newly created after sales position at its national headquarters.