Potato News from Northern America

Researchers at MIT have made significant progress in promoting droplet formation for liquids with very low surface tension such as used in industrial heat exchangers facilitating heat transfer and improving efficiency.

United States potato exports of frozen, dehy and fresh have all posted modest gains through the first three quarters of the July 2018 – June 2019 marketing year.

EnWave Corporation just announced it had signed Commercial License and Equipment Purchase Agreements with Calbee Inc., a leading Japan-based company engaged in the manufacturing and sales of snack confectionary, bakery food and cereal food.

Black Gold Farms started harvest of the 2019 fresh crop of Texas colored potatoes earlier this week. According to the company, the first run fields have indicated that the quality will be better than ever.

NC State grew the North Carolina sweet potato industry into a global powerhouse. Now we're leading the effort to breed sweet potatoes that could provide economic opportunities and better nutrition for people in African countries. (Courtesy: Bill Krueger)

RPE, the exclusive sales and marketing partner of bite size potato brand Tasteful Selections, does not want your meals to get boring. Therefore, the next theme of Tasteful Selections’ Small-Bite Campaign is Creativity

On May 1, Gary Roth started as the new Executive Director of the Oregon Potato Commission (OPC).

Today, McCain Foods USA Inc., a division of McCain Foods Limited, the world’s largest producer of frozen french fries, announced a $300 million investment in its Othello, Washington potato processing plant.

On April 16, 2019, McCain Foods (Canada) celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Portage la Prairie, Manitoba facility and also officially opened its new potato receiving area at a special ceremony hosted onsite at the potato processing facility.

In his presentation at the the 2018 Potato Expo, Dr. Chad Hutchinson discusses the benefits of using Chloropicrin in potato production. Chloropicrin increases production efficiency, profit potential for potato growers, and it also improves soil health.

David Douches, a professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and director of the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, has been at the forefront of the potato’s transition as people get more adventurous with their eating habits.

Manitoba’s potato sector is gearing up to supply an expanding industry but seed supplies will be tight after a tough harvest last season. A number of producers are planning capital upgrades to keep up with the rise in demand.

Bühler Aeroglide, a global leader in thermal process engineering and technology for food, feed, and industrial materials, has announced the appointment of Andreas Kratzer, PhD, as new President and CEO, effective April 1, 2019.

UK vegetable harvesting and handling equipment manufacturer, Scotts Precision Manufacturing, is celebrating after receiving its biggest ever order from Canada.

Spring is just now beginning to shine in much of eastern Oregon and Washington. A winter of record snowfall left the ground frozen or flooded much later than normal. As a result, farmers are getting a late start on their crops.

An analysis of the latest Nielsen data provided by the Private Label Manufacturing Association reveals that private label dollar volume in the mass retail channel surged +41% over the last five years, compared to a gain of only +7.4% for national brands.

Penobscot McCrum is planning to build a new potato processing plant at the site of a long-closed potato factory in Washburn, Maine.

According to reporting by CNBC, Kraft Heinz is considering the sale of its Ore-Ida potato brand in order to pay down its debt