Potato News from United Kingdom

AHDB Potatoes Market Intelligence Analysts estimate the total area planted with potatoes in Great Britain this season is 121,000 hectares. This is up by four per cent on the previous year.

Scientists have identified a version of a single gene involved in the heat stress response that is more active in potato types that can tolerate high temperature, potentially providing potato breeders a tool to make potato varieties less vulnerable to increased temperature.

Tong Engineering is pleased to announce new design options on its popular Fieldloader, including unique automatic transport-mode features, allowing users to make the machine even more compact for road transport.

With six farms as shareholders of 3Ms (Three Musketeers) operating more than 34,000 acres, they have contracted Haith, Tomra and Dijkstra to put in a new state-of-the-art potato grading and sorting line at their site at Bentwaters, near Woodbridge, Suffolk. A brand new building for this has been constructed also.

Key Technology’s Optyx® digital sorters are selected by regional processors of batch-fried potato chips/crisps working to satisfy the rising quality expectations of consumers and retailers around the world.

Earlier this month, Aviko has added Golden Hash Browns to its product range in the United Kingdom, tapping into the all-day dining trend.

Great Britain grower-held potato stock levels at the end of March 2017 were at 1Mt, around the same volume as the end-March 2016 and 300Kt less than the end-March 2015 according to an AHDB estimate.

DEFRA ha aprobado la solicitud del Laboratorio Sainsbury, Norwich, para llevar a cabo ensayos de campo con cultivo de papa genéticamente modificada (GM) en un sitio de ensayo designado en el Norwich Research Park entre 2017 y 2021.

In the United Kingdom, farming minster George Eustice (DEFRA) has approved a four-year trial of genetically modified (GM) potatoes at The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich.

Buntata is a collaborative effort between the University of St Andrews and the James Hutton Institute to enable open access to our information resources and put them at the fingertips of potato growers.

AHDB Potatoes has announced the appointment of a new chair and the addition of five new members to its board, replacing five members.

Potato Processing company M&F Ltd. - based in the United Kingdom - has closed after losing one of its main customers. M&F produced fresh cut and peeled potato products and supplied these to companies who further process these potatoes into ready meals for the UK’s major supermarkets.

From the HZPC Series 'Linking potato people': In conversation with Ms Amanda Ayres, KP Intersnack

Potato stock levels in Great Britain at the end of January 2017 were at a similar level as at the same time in 2016, despite a four-year low yield, according an AHDB survey of grower stocks.

McCain Foods announces an investment of £100m (USD 120m) in its Scarborough Potato Processing Plant (United Kingdom).

Just four months on from its launch to market, Farm Frites’ Ultimate Chip (French Fries for those outside the UK) has been awarded a coveted Chefs Choice Award.

Pepsico, the owner of the Walkers snack brand, has announced the intended closure of the Walkers Snack factory in Peterlee, Durham County, United Kingdom. Shutting down the plant puts 380 jobs at risk

Time is rapidly running out to make sure potato stores in the United Kingdom comply with new rules on using chlorpropham (CIPC), which require the sprout suppressant to be applied using “active recirculation” at new lower rates.