News on The Potato Supply Chain from United Kingdom

The days of a few big varieties dominating the potato market are over, with breeding programmes becoming more focused on delivering sustainable varieties for specific markets.

GB’s seed potato community will be coming together to keep up-to-date on plant health and variety breeding at this year’s Seed Industry Event at Crieff Hydro near Perth, Scotland on November 20.

Figures from the Potato Council Grower Panel Lifting Survey estimate that 16,000ha (13% of the total crop and 3,000ha greater than last week's estimate) was cleared to Friday 31 August, with the GB harvest running approximately three weeks behind last season.

Potato growers are invited to the first North West Potato Day to be held at Aston Grange, Aston, Runcorn, Cheshire on September 18 to discuss with the experts some of the challenges they have faced this year.

Smartphone App to predict potato yield PepsiCo and Cambridge University have joined forces to introduce mobile technology to crop planning, with a new smartphone app that will help farmers predict future harvests.

Damage awareness is one of the key topics to be discussed at the North of England Potato Day to be held at Headley Hill Farm, Tadcaster, Yorkshire on September 4.

Nearly £3-million has been invested into making northern Lincolnshire a central hub for the needs of some of the UK’s biggest potato sellers. Elsham Wold has just become the new headquarters for Arundel Kerr Produce Ltd (AKP Group), supplier to superm...

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and CAFRE, Greenmount Campus have issued a further potato blight warning.

After an incredibly challenging season for potato growers, the ADAS Syngenta 2012 Potato Conference and Exhibition is perfectly timed to provide the essential new technical innovation and marketing inspiration for all growers, agronomists and potato industry specialists.

With bacterial disease blackleg posing a threat to Scottish seed potato crops for a second consecutive season, there was advice at Potatoes in Practice on managing the risk of spread during haulm destruction.

Figures from the Potato Council Grower Panel Lifting Survey estimate that 11,600ha (10%) was cleared to Friday August 10, compared with 12,500 ha (10%) the same week in 2011 and 13,000 ha (10%) in 2010.

Wet weather is once again favouring blackleg development in Scottish seed potato crops, although disease levels are believed currently to be below the record levels seen in 2011.

The application of oils has the potential to assist in the control of non-persistent viruses in potato seed crops. However, more work is required to establish the effects on seed crops.

A scheme to clear fields in Northern Ireland of potato wart disease has been hailed as a success.

Jerry Knox from Cranfield University will discuss the lessons learnt from the wettest drought in history at the East of England Potato Day

It is probably hard to go wrong with a promotion based on the British obsession with the weather. That is why packets of Walkers crisps, as the Brits call potato chips, will feature augmented reality weather forecasts using an app from Blippar.

Scotland's potato farmers are predicting one of the worst harvests in recent years. Crops are expected to be down by as much as 50% in places due to a combination of heavy rain and little sunshine. Producers have said it has been one of the most chal...

In the run up to Potato Week (1-7 October 2012), Potato Council is turning to growers and farm shops to help spread the message that there is more to potatoes than meets the eye. To coincide with the launch of its high profile consumer campaign that w...