News on The Potato Supply Chain from the Americas

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.

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.

El Día Nacional de la Papa (que se celebra el 30 de mayo y se instauró a partir de 2005) ha servido para rescatar a nuestras papas nativas de la extinción, destacó la directora ejecutiva del CITE Papa, Celfia Obregón Ramírez.

Las imágenes son sorprendentes. La súper papa tiene el tamaño de una bolsa de 20 kilos. Sin embargo, su peso fue de 3,8 kilos ya que gran parte de este ejemplar era totalmente hueco.

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)

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

La demanda interna del mercado bordea los 5 millones de toneladas, pero sólo se produce 1.1 millón de t, el resto ingresa por la vía de contrabando e importación.

Papas de la nueva variedad Kawsay se vendieron en supermercados por primera vez este año. Kawsay tiene el potencial de mejorar los ingresos y la seguridad alimentaria de las comunidades, además es de alto rendimiento y gran resistencia al tizón tardío.

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.

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.

ARS Researchers studied potato tubers from the Klamath Basin in Oregon infected with the causal bacteria of zebra chip disease. They confirmed the presence of the pathogen but did not identify the sample as one of the six known varieties (haplotypes).

A New Brunswick-grown industry partnership will see Grand Falls host an all-new edition of the major farming trade show AgriExpo this summer.

EarthFresh Farms announces their expansion into the Southeastern USA with an advanced technological packing plant and distribution center in Atlanta, GA.

In the latest addition to his blog (https://www.gatesnotes.com), Bill Gates highlights that in order to fight climate change, we need to look beyond decarbonizing the way we generate electricity. We need to look at agriculture for example...

Supplies of potatoes from Canada’s Prince Edward Island province are very tight.