News on The Potato Supply Chain from Northern America

May 12, 2009

Washington State Governor urges Obama to resolve trucking dispute with Mexico

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire is urging the Obama administration to quickly resolve a trucking dispute with Mexico to aid export of Washington farm products, including frozen potatoes, that are now the target of the 20 percent duty.Canadian potato gro...

May 11, 2009

CSPI takes on salty restaurant meals: 'Heart Attack Entrées with Side Orders of Stroke'

Unsafe levels of sodium chloride, or salt, in chain restaurant meals increase one's chance of developing hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit food safety and ...

May 11, 2009

Canadian Agriculture minister disputes PEI potato board's numbers

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is taking issue with the P.E.I. Potato Board's interpretation of how much money has been paid out for crops ruined by rain last summer. In October, a $12.4- million compensation plan was announced, cost-shared b...

May 11, 2009

'Lay's local': find out who made your potato chips

This month, Frito-Lay kicks-off its largest ever marketing campaign called "Lay's Local" to celebrate the more than 40,000 Americans across the country who grow the potatoes we use to make Lay’s brand potato chips, who make the chips at Frito...

May 08, 2009

Aid promised to PEI potato farmers coming up short

P.E.I. potato farmers are unable to access anywhere near the amount of money that was promised by the federal government to help them with crops damaged by rains last fall. Last fall, the federal government announced $12.4 million in disaster assistan...

May 08, 2009

Prince Edward Island Potato Board today welcomed federal assistance for potato storage losses

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board today welcomed the confirmation of assistance for storage losses that occurred as a result of the extreme wet weather in the fall of 2008. The Board learned of the assistance via a federal government news release...

May 07, 2009

Idaho Potato growers adjust expectations

Idaho potato farmers are planting the state's signature crop, and some are making changes based on reduced processing contracts.Processors that make french fries and other frozen potato products have reduced overall contracted potato acreage in the Nor...

May 06, 2009

Microwavable packaging growing in popularity

Remember the days of sticking a fork into a potato a couple times, then popping it into the microwave for 10 minutes or so? That’s ancient history … or, at least it’s heading in that direction. Microwaveable packaging is quickly catching on, according...

May 05, 2009

The University of Idaho wants you to have richly colored potatoes, even after storage

Harvest a red, yellow or purple specialty potato and its skin color will be shiny and bright. That’s paramount, because skin quality drives buyers to put a particular potato in their shopping cart. Store that potato for a month or two, and its skin co...

May 05, 2009

Idaho Potato Commission announces winners of the Potato Lover's Month Retail Display Contest

The most anticipated retail promotion of the year, the 2009 Potato Lover’s Month Retail Display Contest, proved to be yet another blockbuster hit for the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) with over 2,150 entries, an 11% increase in participation over 2008....

April 30, 2009

Contracts for potatoes not completed in Alberta

Just when it looked as if spring had arrived, southern Alberta was hit with one last snowstorm. However, for potato growers, it should not cause much concern.That was the word from Edzo Kok, executive director of the Potato Growers of Alberta. He esti...

April 24, 2009

How to store potatoes at home

Potatoes live. Potatoes breathe. And because Potatoes are 80 percent water, these tubers thrive in humid locations. Take heed, consumers wondering about the best spots in your homes to store your potatoes.

Private label potato product in the Canadian market

April 21, 2009

Don't Blame Private-Label Gains on the Recession

Private label growth didn't start gaining momentum in the downturn. Not only have private label brands been gaining share for the past decade, experts say these gains are the single-biggest problem facing branded packaged goods players. House brands,...

April 17, 2009

Potato leads retail food prices higher in Canada

Potatoes are 55 per cent more expensive now than a year ago, Statistics Canada says, and grocery prices overall rose more in March than at any time in the past 28 years.Potato prices are particularly hot, but double-digit increases have been recorded f...

April 17, 2009

Potato shippers rally for higher truck weight limits

The potato industry is backing a bill that would change the 20 year-old national truck weight restriction from a maximum of 80,000 pounds up to 97,000 pounds, which could allow them to ship 19% more potatoes at the same cost.Potato grower-shippers and ...

April 16, 2009

Maine Potato Grower to Chair United States Potato Board

Members of the United States Potato Board recently elected Maine chip stock grower Tom Qualey as Chairman of the Board, an honor last bestowed upon a Mainer more than two decades ago. It is an achievement not easily earned but rather the result of hard...

April 16, 2009

US potato Stocks: use of potatoes for dehydrated products low

The 13 major potato States held 115 million cwt of potatoes in storage April 1, 2009, down 9 percent from a year ago and 5 percent below April 1, 2007. Potatoes in storage accounted for 31 percent of the 2008 fall storage States' production, slightly b...

April 15, 2009

Columbia root-knot nematodes resistant potato developed by ARS scientists

Despite their microscopic size, Columbia root-knot nematodes (CRN) have potential to inflict huge losses—about $40 million annually—by tunneling into potatoes to feed.