Potato News from Asia

January 27, 2009

Frito-Lay introduces 'Caffeine snacks' on Japanese market

Frito-Lay Japan has decided that "Coffee Crisp" should be more than just a pretty name. Their new Caramel Macchiatto and Green Tea Latte flavor corn chips pack two cups of coffee's worth of caffeine into each bag.The so-called "caffeine ...

January 27, 2009

Indian Govt may allow McCain Foods to charge a 'Management service fee' to Indian subsidiary

The Indian government is considering a proposal to allow foreign multinationals to impose an 'annual service fee' on their Indian subsidiary for providing management services. The foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, while allowing payment of royalt...

January 27, 2009

McDonald's gana un 80% más en 2008 y abrira 1.000 nuevos establecimientos

La crisis no ha impedido que la principal cadena de comida rápida del mundo haya logrado incrementar su beneficio en 2008 en un 80%, hasta los 4.313 millones de dólares (3.307 millones de euros). Además, McDonald’s seguirá creciendo y abrirá unos 1.000...

January 24, 2009

FT reports McDonald's plans 12000 jobs, 240 restaurants European Expansion

McDonald's Corp. (NYSE:MCD) will add 12,000 jobs and open 240 new restaurants across Europe this year, the Financial Times in London reported on Saturday, citing the company's president of European operations. The fast-food chain's plans for expansion ...

January 19, 2009

Potato cultivation being hampered by blight in Jessore (Bangladesh)

Potato cultivators of the district Jessore have become frustrated due to widespread outbreak of leaf blight disease in potato fields.Department of Agricultural Extension sources said some 1000 hectares of potato fields have been affected with the disea...

January 19, 2009

Potato growers in India face heat as Pakistan slaps import tax

Potato growers in India are staring at a glut in the market and rock bottom prices after Pakistan imposed an import tax that has virtually stopped exports to the neighbouring country, traders said today.Pakistan this week imposed a 25 per cent tax on t...

January 17, 2009

Tecnología brasileña para mejorar la producción de papa en China

De acuerdo a José Alberto Caram de Souza Dias, investigador del Instituto de Agronomía de Campinas (IAC), una tecnología desarrollada en Campinas, en el estado brasileño de Sao Paulo, puede aplicarse en China para impulsar la producción de papa. Según...

January 15, 2009

Brazilian technology to improve Chinese potato production

Technology developed in Campinas, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, is to be applied in China to boost potato production, according to Campinas Agronomy Institute (IAC) researcher, José Alberto Caram de Souza Dias.According to the researcher, the IA...

January 15, 2009

Frito-Lay expands West Bengal Potato Chips plant.

At a time when global recession has hit investments across the world, Pepsico has decided to invest Rs 250 crore more in its Frito-Lay potato chips plant at Sankrail in Howrah district, West Bengal.The new investment will give a boost to potato produc...

Kurkure - extruded snack by Frito-Lay /Pepsico - highly popular in India

January 15, 2009

Frito-Lay’s factory in Sankrail is caught in a stand-off over land possession

The snack-food division of PepsiCo Inc.’s Indian unit finds itself caught in a miniature version of the stand-off in Singur that led to Tata Motors Ltd driving its dream small car project out of West Bengal to Gujarat.

January 02, 2009

Pepsico takes measures to ensure potato supply in India.

Having faced sourcing issues for potato in 2008, food and beverage major PepsiCo is planning to ensure supply by introducing farming equipment and technology and new potato seed varieties to decrease chances of crop loss. It also aims to increase the...

January 02, 2009

Bangladesh not likely to achieve potato production targets in northern region

Bangladesh's Potato cultivation targets may not be achieved in 16 northern districts, including Rangpur-Dinajpur region, due to abnormal price hike of fertilizer and other agri-inputs this season.Farmers said they achieved bumper production last season...

December 26, 2008

Video: Israeli scientist David Levy breeding potato varieties for arid regions in the Middle East.

David Levy of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is breeding potato varieties suitable for semi arid climatic conditions as they exist in several countries in the middle east and elsewhere. He has bred varieties that are better suitable for cultivation...

December 24, 2008

India's potato output in 2008 may be 15% higher

India’s potato output is estimated to rise 15.38 per cent in 2008 owing to the favourable climatic conditions. The total output of the so far evergreen vegetable is likely to rise over 30 million tonnes in 2008 compared to over 26 million tonnes in 200...

December 23, 2008

Arrests in China Potato Starch Production Scam

Police in southwestern Sichuan province arrested three people who bilked 92 million yuan (£9.13 million/13.4 million USD) from more than 1,600 people in a potato starch production scam.The three set up a company promising returns of more than 23 percen...

December 22, 2008

Big losses in potatoes and tomatoes crops in Marib (Yemen) due to cold waves

Around 60 percent of the potatoes and tomatoes crops in al-Wadi and al-Madinh districts of Marib governorate have been damaged due to frost waves. A filed committee of General Authority for Developing Eastern Regions was formed to register damages cau...

December 22, 2008

North Korea is expecting 3 million ton potato harvest

The increase was made possible in large part by support and assistance provided by South Korea, visiting South Korean scholars and agricultural officials noted. Seoul and Pyongyang have held annual symposiums on agricultural science since 2000.

December 20, 2008

Malaysia Palm Oil production update (December 2008)

Malaysia's crude palm oil production rose marginally to 1.7 MMT in November. The palms are showing signs of biological stress. A bigger carry-in stock and an increase in Palm Oil imports resulted in a record level of 2.3 MMT at the end of November.Howe...