Potato News from Asia

June 10, 2010

Buhler strengthens its position in China

The Buhler Technology Group has acquired 100% of the Chinese company Bangsheng Bio-Technology Co. Ltd. Bangsheng, the Chinese market leader in the field of flour improvement solutions for specialty flours, is opening up additional opportunities for Buh...

June 07, 2010

Starch manufacturer China Essence Group clarifies financial position

China Essence provided the following update on its financial position, no doubt in part in response to last week's drop in stock price:It has come to the management’s attention that there were concerns regarding the debt level of the Group. The managem...

June 03, 2010

Potato Processors join in Idaho trade mission to China

Idaho ag groups hope to find new export opportunities in China during a trade mission led by Gov. C.L. "Butch"Otter, from June 4-12.Potato processors from Idaho and the Idaho Potato Commission will focus on promoting frozen and dehydrated pot...

June 02, 2010

Potato Prices in India to remain flat on bumper harvest

Retail prices of potatoes are expected to remain stable in the next three months, despite monsoons being right at the doorstep in most parts of the country as rabi production in key growing states of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal has exceeded estimates

June 01, 2010

China turns to potato for food security

In the land of rice, China is looking at an unlikely tool for maintaining growth and social harmony: the potato. The Chinese government has begun ramping up research, production and training related to the humble spud, and hopes are high that it could...

May 31, 2010

China Essence Group stock price tumbles

The stock price of potato starch manufacturer China Essence Group, listed at the Singapore Exchange, dropped 36%. The drop in the stock price triggered the Singapore Exchange to query the China Essence Group regarding trading activity, which meanwhi...

May 21, 2010

Why Potatoes Are Key to PepsiCo's Success in China

CEO Indra Nooyi announced today that Pepsico plans to invest $2.5 billion in China over the next three years, beyond the $1 billion it has spent on its Chinese operations since 2008. Pepsi will build 19 new beverage and manufacturing plants and will...

May 21, 2010

Pepsico to invest 2.5 Billion in China

PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, today announced that it plans to invest an additional US$2.5 billion in China over the next three years. The newly announced investment is in addition to the US$1 billion investment the ...

May 20, 2010

Plea to set up potato promotion board in India

There was a need to constitute a potato promotion board at the central level in order to look into various issues beginning from cultivation to consumption of the tuber in the country. The matter was discussed at the annual meeting of the Federation of...

May 19, 2010

Guizhou working hard to become the largest potato-producing region in China

As Guizhou prepares for the three-day 2010 China potato festival to be held on May 28, statistics show that potato cultivation in the region is continuing to expand.According to statistics, the potato planting areas in Guizhou province has increased fr...

May 18, 2010

Could Taurine help reduce acrylamide in French Fries?

Taurine, the ingredient most famously linked to energy drinks, may help reduce levels of acrylamide in foods, suggests new research from Korea.French fries exposed to a taurine solution prior to frying contained 96 per cent less acrylamide than control...

May 06, 2010

Frito Lay India to up contract farming by four-fold

Frito Lay India is looking at increasing contract farming of potato in India by almost four-fold over the next three years. “Currently, there are 15,000 farmers doing contract farming of potato for us while we are sourcing the commodity from 40,000 f...

May 06, 2010

Frito-lay, ITC to build new potato chips plants in India

Frito-Lay India - with a market share of 60%- is drawing up a fresh game plan to drive volumes. To start with, the company is increasing its manufacturing capacity by setting up a new plant in West Bengal in the second half of 2010.“We are extending ou...

May 06, 2010

Export of Kurkure, Aliva considered by Frito-Lay India

Frito-Lay, the snack food division of PepsiCo India, is contemplating export of indigenously-developed products Kurkure and Aliva to markets such as the US and UK. 'We are looking at markets where the Indian diaspora is strong'.

Winners Dillicious Flavour Campaign Lays India

May 05, 2010

Lay's India launches winning flavours of 'Give us Your Dillicious flavour'

The results for the 'Give Us Your Dillicious Flavour' that was launched in October 2009 by Frito Lay's have been declared. Four flavours have been shortlisted from around 1.3 million entries from consumers. Each of the entries that got shortlisted get...

May 02, 2010

High output keeps potato prices down in India

Since the beginning of March, the price of potato has dipped more than 16 per cent on account of higher production of the commodity in India this year. High arrivals have been reported in the mandis and that has kept the sentiments weak for t...

April 28, 2010

Potato growers in Rangpur (Bangladesh) protest and demand compensation from cold storage owners

Hundreds of farmers blocked roads in Dinajpur and Rangpur yesterday demanding compensation as thousands of bags of potatoes they kept in cold storage have rotten due to alleged negligence of the authorities. The affected farmers said the authorities ...

April 27, 2010

West Bengal announces transport subsidy for potato

The West Bengal Government has announced a transport subsidy of Rs 11 crore for inter-State transport of potatoes as well as export to other countries. West Bengal's potato production almost doubled to 95 lakh tonnes this year, against just about 55 l...