News on The Potato Supply Chain from Idaho

Mel Davenport, CEO of Potandon Produce, has retired after over 30 years and was succeeded by former Fresh Direct CEO David Lawrence on December 20th.

The J.R. Simplot Company has named G.Rey Reinhardt as President of its AgriBusiness Group. Reinhardt will take over for Doug Stone who announced his retirement earlier this year.

McCain Foods is embarking on an expansion of its network of Innovation Hub farms across North America.

Kip Yeates, Vice President of Fresh Operations at potato company Wada Farms, highlights the success of their partnership with Ellips in enhancing potato grading efficiency and quality consistency, exceeding initial expectations and paving the way for future advancements in AI-driven grading technology.

In a significant move, 1,4GROUP has shifted the manufacturing of its sprout inhibitor chlorpropham (CIPC) to the United States, marking a transition away from its previous manufacturing base overseas.

About 5,000 loaded-down semi-trucks of really nice Northwest french-fry-making potatoes are set to plop into cattle troughs or be destroyed. Dale Lathim is the President of the Potato Marketing Association of North America

Great news for potato producers: 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene (1,4- DMN), a naturally-occurring bio-control that enhances dormancy

University of Idaho doctoral student Lisa Tran’s dissertation has the potential to transform how Idaho’s seed potato certification authority does business.

The Mart Group, an Idaho potato packing operation has been awarded a USD 19.6 million USDA funding to construct a frozen potato processing facility. The investment is part of a USD 320 million effort to create better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses.

Potato stocks in Idaho on June 1, 2023 totaled 19.0 million cwt. Disappearance of the Idaho crop to date was
101.7 million cwt. June 1 potato stocks in Oregon totaled 2.80 million cwt.

Idaho potatoes make it far into Asian markets, but Japan has yet to open its doors to the Gem State’s most famous export.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) was declared the Grand Champion at the National Agri-Marketing Association’s (NAMA) award show held on April 26 in St. Louis, MO for its public relations campaign Frites by Idaho.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) and the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) have announced a multi-year partnership making fresh Idaho® potatoes the first vegetable to participate in the ADA’s esteemed, Better Choices for Life program.

University of Idaho researchers are introducing genes from a plant in the nightshade family into potatoes, seeking to develop spuds that resist harmful nematodes.  The plant, called ‘litchi tomato’, has natural resistance to several species of cyst and root-knot nematodes.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) recently announced the addition of Sam Eaton as the new Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs. Ross Johnson has been promoted to Vice President of Retail and International.

Floyd Wilcox & Sons Inc. dba Wilcox Fresh is excited to announce the acquisition of Southwind Farms located in Heyburn, ID. Wilcox Fresh was established in Rexburg, ID in 1948 by Floyd Wilcox shortly after his sons returned home from WW2.

Eagle Eye Produce had been harvesting new crop potatoes for several weeks before beginning harvest for its storage supplies the week after Labor Day. While it is still too early to know the overall projection for the crop.

Recently Simplot, a potato processor and a supplier of a wide range of agricultural products, highlighted its sustainability goals. Covering all aspects of the agricultural value chain, gives Simplot on edge...