News on The Potato Supply Chain from United Kingdom

May 24, 2012

Marks & Spencer launches new potato variety Athlete

Marks &Spencer is launching a brand new, loose skinned new potato variety this summer called Athlete. The first small volumes of the new variety will be harvested in May this year, and will then be exclusively available in M&S stores nationwi...

May 16, 2012

British Farmers struggle with wet weather

British farmers are warning of possible price rises and even food shortages after admitting they are struggling to cope with some of the wettest Springs in history.

May 15, 2012

Potato company boss faces jail over Sainsbury's scam

A former potato firm director has been told he faces a significant jail term for his role in a bribery scam with a buyer at Sainsbury's.

May 14, 2012

Rhizoctonia hits in cold wet potato seedbeds in Britain

Rhizoctonia is running rife in cold, wet potato seedbeds and hampering crop emergence this season.

May 14, 2012

Scottish potatoes remain free from dickeya

The 2011/12 post harvest tuber survey for potato pathogen dickeya has been completed and all samples tested were found free of infection, Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) has announced.

May 13, 2012

Syngenta launches Blightcast, a blight warning system for British potato growers

The Syngenta BlightCast system will give growers and agronomists a five-day advance warning of localised blight risks.

May 13, 2012

Sheet and treat to minimise the blight risk from outgrade piles

As part of the Potato Council’s ‘Fight against blight’ campaign, the mapping of late blight outbreaks has demonstrated outgrade piles remain a significant source of blight in potato crops.

May 10, 2012

Poultry manure offers potential fertiliser savings to British potato growers

Until now substituting artificial fertiliser with livestock manures for potatoes has been a fairly unscientific art. This year a trial is taking place to assess the potential for significant cost savings.

May 09, 2012

Cool Farm Institute to improve farming and retail carbon footprint

A new institute to help farmers produce more efficiently and an updated software ‘tool’ that enables farming and food industries to calculate their carbon footprint are launched this week.

May 09, 2012

'Grow your own potatoes' contributing to AHDB Education Strategy

Both the ‘Grow Your Own Potatoes’ and ‘Cook Your Own Potatoes’ projects from Potato Council are making an important contribution to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Education Strategy 2012-17.

May 07, 2012

Price of potatoes expected to soar due to wet weather in Britain

The price of potatoes is expected to soar because the wet weather is delaying planting and slowing down harvests in Britain.

May 07, 2012

Changes to seed potato terms boost confidence of British growers

The British Potato Trade Association (BPTA) last week launched revised terms and conditions surrounding the sale and purchase of seed potatoes, providing growers with much-needed confidence that claims for contamination will be dealt with effectively.

May 02, 2012

Potato corruption trial in the UK kicks off with two guilty pleas

A major corruption case in the potato industry has kicked off with guilty pleas from a former Sainsbury’s buyer and a former executive at potato supplier Greenvale.

May 01, 2012

Pause in UK potato planting prompts rethink

If you are a potato grower in Scotland then you may now start to wonder what you have done wrong in the world.

May 01, 2012

Sainsbury and Greenvale embroiled in potato corruption scandal

A Sainsbury’s potato buyer accepted £5 million in corrupt payments from a key supplier, staying at Claridge’s and taking luxury holidays in return for a lucrative contract.

April 30, 2012

Changes to British Potato Trade Association terms 'a positive move for the seed potato industry'

The British Potato Trade Association (BPTA) will launch revised terms and conditions surrounding the sale and purchase of seed potatoes on May 1 2012, providing growers with much needed confidence that claims for contamination will be dealt with effectively.

April 30, 2012

Potato genome mapping benefits within a decade, says genetics specialist

Growers could start seeing the benefits of the potato genome being sequenced within the next decade, with varieties bringing new traits such as PCN resistance or improved tuber shape.

April 30, 2012

Fenmarc supports pupils’ potato growing project

Thousands of pupils across the South East and East of England will have the chance to understand more about where their food comes - thanks to help from fresh produce experts Fenmarc.