News on Health and Nutrition from the Americas

With coronavirus severely affecting the potato supply chain, a farm in Idaho is giving away about 2 million potatoes so they don't go to waste. First come, first served.

McCain Foods announced a donation of up to 20-million pounds of potato products to support Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest, and other local food security organizations across the country.

Cavendish farms haven’t laid off any staff yet because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), but a spokeswoman for the company says short-term layoffs are expected.

As of April 13, the novel coronavirus pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China late last year had been attributed to over 119,000 deaths worldwide, of which more than 23,000 have been recorded in the United States and more than 10,000 in New York alone.

While food manufacturers supplying to foodservice are suffering from lost revenue and layoffs, companies primarily serving retail customers are faced with exactly the opposite. One example is potato processor Idahoan Foods.

La Empresa Agropecuaria Cubaquivir, del municipio Los Palacios, se sumó a la cosecha de papas correspondiente a la campaña de frío 2019-2020 en Pinar del Río, provincia que reincorporó el cultivo a sus campos tras una década de ausencia.

The utilization of U.S. grown potatoes increased by 3.3% in volume in 2019 compared to 2018, an increase of 1,183 million pounds.

Last week Lamb Weston presented its Fiscal Third Quarter 2020 Results. The company withdraws its Fiscal Year 2020 Outlook due to Uncertainty from the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Global Restaurant Traffic and Consumer Demand.

COVID-19-related restaurant closures lead to ‘curtailment’ of french fry production. Cavendish Farms has advised the P.E.I. potato producers under contract to supply the company with spuds to 'sell to other markets if they can'.

Reyco Systems normally supports the food industry exclusively, but now hospitals across Idaho have asked the Caldwell-based company for help in the fight against the new coronavirus.

The last few years have proven that snacking in the U.S. has become a lifestyle, with consumers snacking across the day. At the same time, COVID-19 is having an immediate impact on consumers’ food and beverage purchase and consumption behaviors.

Snack Industry's Full Equipment Supply Chain Trade Show Remains in Charlotte, Rescheduled for 2021; New 'SNX' Education and Collaboration Forum Rescheduled to March 2022.

The National Potato Council joined 30 agriculture organizations and businesses yesterday calling on the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to include agricultural businesses in the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Potatoes USA, the marketing and promotion board for the U.S. potato industry, elected its new leadership during its 48th Annual Meeting on March 11. The newly elected Chairman and Executive Committee will lead the 99 board members through 2020-2021.

On March 27, the House passed by voice vote S. 3548, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion bill with significant benefits to the U.S. potato supply chain.

The Idaho Potato Commission will seek the attorney general's guidance on a funding request by a recently formed association of growers.

In light of the rapid escalation of safety precautions to decrease the transmission of COVID-19, the CPMA Board of Directors and 2020 CPMA Convention and Trade Show Organizing Committee have made the difficult decision to cancel the event.

Mahi Pono is planning to start commercial potato production on Maui, Hawaii after successful test crop. The company donated nearly 30,000 pounds of red, white and yellow potatoes of their test crop to local food banks.