News on The Potato Supply Chain from United Kingdom

June 26, 2014

UK Consumers eat less potatoes, but this is not a conscious decision

In the United Kingdom the value of fresh potato category is growing with a 3.8% rise over the last year, while the volume of fresh potatoes sold has dropped by 8.0%. The Potato Council is figuring out what can be done about it.

Sporangia of P. infestans: sporangium from which a zoospore is germinating. (photo: B. G. Turgeon; Cornell University)

June 11, 2014

Breakthrough in understanding swarming potato blight spores

Researchers at the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen have made a breakthrough in understanding how the microbial spores which cause potato blight are so effective at infecting plants.

June 11, 2014

Freshly harvested Scottish Potatoes at Tesco

Summer is the perfect season for a laidback lunch in the sun and what could be a better accompaniment for a BBQ or al fresco dining than a bowl of tasty, fresh new potatoes. This summer treat yourself to the freshest and best with Freshly harvested Ayrshire and East Lothian Potatoes available from Tesco stores in Scotland.

Tracy Mattock, Marketing Manager (left) and Kate Wright, Category Insight Manager (right)

June 10, 2014

Greenvale Adds some Girl Power to Strengthen its Customer Understanding

Leading UK potato supplier, Greenvale is strengthening its marketing team with the appointment of two new members of staff, Tracey Mattock who takes on the role of Marketing Manager, and Kate Wright who is the new Category Insight Manager.

June 10, 2014

Potato Blight warning issued in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and CAFRE, Greenmount Campus has issued the first potato blight warning for 2014.

June 08, 2014

Tong Peal appoints new after sales manager

Tong Peal has appointed Ian Evison in a newly created after sales position at its national headquarters.

May 28, 2014

Modern cooks too lazy to peel a potato?

Modern cooks too lazy to peel a potato - leaving a farmer losing £70 on every tonne of spuds he grows

Oculus potato sorter boosts new features

May 27, 2014

New Features add to appeal of Herbert Oculus Sorter

Herbert Engineering has added significant new features to their Oculus optical sorter, which will enable growers and packers to achieve superior quality product with increased accuracy in the detection of defects tubers.

May 23, 2014

Herbert Variclean helps potato growers in hard winter conditions

The newly introduced Variclean from Herbert Engineering has eased the problem of lifting in heavy conditions for many potato growers over the past two winters.

May 15, 2014

UK: Potatoes emerge to perfect storm of blight pressure

In the United Kingdom, many potato crops are now emerging well - straight into conditions that pose a high risk of blight.

New AHDB Chairman Peter Kendall (left) and UK Food and Farming Minister George Eustice

April 30, 2014

UK Farming Minister and new chairman outline role for the AHDB - which includes the potato council

A vision for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) was outlined by the Food and Farming Minister George Eustice and the new AHDB chairman Peter Kendall when they addressed AHDB employees.

April 28, 2014

Potato Planting progress in North-western Europe

Potato Planting in North-Western Europe is well on its way.

April 17, 2014

Fifty Years of Potato Storage Research at Sutton Bridge

This week saw the Potato Council division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of its Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) facility, near Spalding in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom

April 03, 2014

New leadership at Potato Council

Fiona Fell has taken on the challenging and exciting role of Chairman of Potato Council and member of the AHDB Board.

Greenvale Tern Hill facility considered for closure

March 31, 2014

Greenvale AP considering closure of its Tern Hill potato packing plant

Greenvale AP, based in Tern Hill, Shropshire, has confirmed redundancies could be made following a review of its potato packing operations.

March 18, 2014

Plagas agrícolas son ‘muy subestimadas’, dice estudio

El número de diferentes tipos de plagas que destruyen las cosechas en el mundo en desarrollo podría ser muy superior a lo que se conoce, lo que estaría contribuyendo aún más a mermar las cosechas en países que son grandes productores de alimentos, dicen investigadores.

Roundtable Report Potato Council: Unearthing the role of potatoes in a healthy sustainable diet

February 25, 2014

Potatoes: convincing government of their importance

Potato Council acts as a knowledge house for Government raising the importance of the potato. Two years since this work programme started there has been a real increase in knowledge about potatoes amongst parliamentarians with 83% now regarding potatoes as an important crop.