News on The Potato Supply Chain from Europe

Jersey Potato exporters were able to negotiate a better price from UK supermarkets this year to help cover rising costs but blight and poor weather meant it was still a difficult season.

Potato Europe 2023, recently held in Tournai, Belgium, became more international than we saw in the past years. Visitors from all around the world visited the event to see the latest European potato technologies.

On Thursday, September 14, 2023, potato breeder Royal HZPC Group B.V. became a target of a form of cybercrime. A large amount of money was transferred to a bank account of criminals.

Restrain, the world’s leading provider of ethylene-based sprout control solutions, has announced the appointment of Dr. Benedikt Cramer as its new Managing Director, while current MD Dirk Garos will take up the new role of Strategic Director.

Gordon MP Richard Thomson has welcomed confirmation from DEFRA that exports of seed potatoes from Scotland to Northern Ireland can restart from September 30, but has reacted with disbelief that the UK Government hasn’t raised the issue of exports to the EU since March.

Serenade is a biological fungicide based on a living bacterium derived from nature. In extensive trials, Bayer identified a number of positive effects on the potato crop.

Dutch innovative hybrid potato breeder Solynta announced that Peter Poortinga will join the company as Chief Executive Officer as per September 15.

The last 4 months was not easy going for the potato production in the NEPG region. But despite the difficult weather conditions, first yield estimates suggest a return to multi-year averages, with an estimated harvest of around 23 million tonnes of potatoes.

Princesa Amandine will participate in Fruit Attraction (from October 3 to 5 at IFEMA Madrid) and can be found at the stands of three of its partners, Udapa (10G06, hall 10), Ibérica de Patatas (5E06, hall 5) and Campotec (8C08, stand Portugal Fresh 2023).

The 2023 edition of Potato Europe took place in Kain (Doornik), Belgium, last week. There, the full-liner in potato cultivation machines unveiled innovations in its product lines for both planting and storage.

Veg of Lund continued its international expansion plans and launched the DUG brand plant-based milk in Germany, Poland, Japan, and Italy.

New E-series reel irrigators from Bauer have several improved features to make operation and maintenance easier while maintaining the product’s outstanding reputation for strength, performance and durability

The Netherlands' development as an agricultural country and retaining enough farmland. And ensuring potatoes remain in Dutch consumers' minds.

Crop.zone, a pioneering agtech company, just announced the successful launch of its revolutionary hybrid herbicide technology in Canada.

Since the beginning of the week, potato prices in Ukraine have decreased significantly. The main reason for negative trends in the potato market was the beginning of harvesting in the key production regions and, as a result, an increase in the potato supply.

DOWNS has extended its range of optical potato sorters with the arrival of the I-CropVision®: a modular version of the CropVision®, it incorporates the same technology and numerous benefits.

In keeping with the four-yearly tradition, one of the potato sector's most important trade fairs, Potato Europe, will soon again be held in Kain (Doornik), Belgium. Among a range of innovations Dewulf will present at Potato Europe 2023, the main eye catcher will be an entirely new cup planter, named Certa 40 Integral.

Seed potato supplier Europlant Pflanzenzucht GmbH establishes a subsidiary in Spain to expand its market presence in the Mediterranean. Going forward, Europlant Espana Semillas S.L. will be responsible for the distribution of the modern and high-performance potato varieties in Spain.