Potato News from United Kingdom

May 01, 2012

UK doctors blast McDonalds' Olympic sponsorship

McDonald's is a sponsor for the London Olympics _ and a British doctors' group says that's sending the wrong message in a country with ballooning obesity.

May 01, 2012

Pause in UK potato planting prompts rethink

If you are a potato grower in Scotland then you may now start to wonder what you have done wrong in the world.

May 01, 2012

Sainsbury and Greenvale embroiled in potato corruption scandal

A Sainsbury’s potato buyer accepted £5 million in corrupt payments from a key supplier, staying at Claridge’s and taking luxury holidays in return for a lucrative contract.

April 30, 2012

Changes to British Potato Trade Association terms 'a positive move for the seed potato industry'

The British Potato Trade Association (BPTA) will launch revised terms and conditions surrounding the sale and purchase of seed potatoes on May 1 2012, providing growers with much needed confidence that claims for contamination will be dealt with effectively.

April 30, 2012

Potato genome mapping benefits within a decade, says genetics specialist

Growers could start seeing the benefits of the potato genome being sequenced within the next decade, with varieties bringing new traits such as PCN resistance or improved tuber shape.

April 30, 2012

Fenmarc supports pupils’ potato growing project

Thousands of pupils across the South East and East of England will have the chance to understand more about where their food comes - thanks to help from fresh produce experts Fenmarc.

April 28, 2012

Speaker programme for World Potato Congress now complete

Practical solutions for efficient potato storage and maximising marketable yields will be some of the topics on the agenda at World Potato Congress 2012 (May 27-30, Edinburgh).

April 26, 2012

PepsiCo announces 110 jobs as part of a major £15.2m investment in Walkers site

PepsiCo has today announced it is hiring 110 employees in Leicester as part of a major £15.2m investment in its Walkers manufacturing campus. Applications are now open and PepsiCo is looking for motivated, passionate people with a great work ethic to ...

April 26, 2012

New research into the control of Alternaria in potatoes

According to independent potato specialist of Root Crop Consultancy Howard Hinds, Alternaria has become much more of an issue in UK potato crops, with severe infections being experienced in susceptible varieties such as Markies.

April 26, 2012

Produce supplier Fenmarc shortlisted for Packer of the year

Fenmarc, one of the leading fresh produce suppliers in the UK, has been shortlisted for Packer of the Year in the Re:fresh awards.

April 25, 2012

New quad potato planter by Standen-Pearson

The success of Standen-Pearson ‘QUAD’ potato planters for the establishment of salad crops is well recognised around the world.

April 24, 2012

Emergency action on potato pest Epitrix

Emergency action has been taken by a European Commission committee to stop the spread of a beetle which has the potential to damage British potato production.

April 24, 2012

World's largest McDonalds set to open for Summer Olympics, plans to serve 9 million guests in 6 weeks

The biggest McDonald's restaurant in the world will open for six weeks during the London 2012 Olympic games with plans to serve more than 50,000 Big Mac burgers and 180,000 orders of french fries.

April 17, 2012

Award-winning water specialist to speak at World Potato Congress 2012

Dr Colin Chartres, director-general of International Water Management Institute, based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is to speak at World Potato Congress 2012 (WPC2012). The water management specialist, whose Institute has just won the 2012 Stockholm Water P...

April 16, 2012

UK: Fenmarc powered by renewable energy

Fresh produce supplier Fenmarc in the UK is set to source all its electricity from renewable energy following the successful commissioning of a local Anaerobic Digestion plant.

April 16, 2012

Benchmarking tool for irrigation users launched

Potato growers in the UK could save money, boost yields and help the environment through a new irrigation benchmarking tool.

April 15, 2012

UK: Potato weed control in drier conditions

Despite continuing dry weather, potato growers still need to control weeds effectively in order to get the crop off to a strong start and some are electing to use more traditional herbicides which they have found offer a better chance of performing under dry conditions.

April 12, 2012

Hongos provocan infección y extinción de especies

La investigación, encabezada por Matthew Fisher, académico de la facultad de Salud Pública del Imperial College de Londres, y en el que también participó la Universidad de Oxford, revela que los hongos han estado presentes en 70% de los casos de extinc...