News on The Potato Supply Chain from the United States

February 25, 2015

Tentative agreement US West Coast Ports - but effects may last

Columbia Basin potato processors slowed down during the West Coast port impasse, making fewer potatoes into french fries, hash browns and other potato products shipped around the world.

February 24, 2015

Black Gold Farms Expands Potato Production and Packing Capabilities with Acquisition of George Wood Farms

Black Gold Farms, an industry leader in potato production, sales and marketing, recently acquired the legacy potato production operation, George Wood Farms located near Camden, NC.

February 10, 2015

Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes rapid sales growth boon for Maine Potato growers

Rodney McCrum, president and chief operating officer of Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes, says he is dedicated to growing the company he started with a dozen other potato farmers in 1995.

Some of Ore-Ida's retail potato products

February 09, 2015

Heinz shakes up potato procurement for its Oregon potato processing factory

Heinz Frozen Foods, manufacturer of the Ore-Ida retail brand is changing the procurement process for the potatoes for its Ontario, OR potato processing plant. Heinz will now contract with the Oregon Potato Company, Pasco, Washington.

Russet Burbank (Courtesy Idaho Potato Commission)

February 08, 2015

Large and growing price gap between small and large Russets in Idaho

Idaho is currently confronted with the unusual situation that large Russet potatoes are far more expensive than small Russets and the price gap is only increasing.

Pine forests such as this one south of Park Rapids, Minn., have been cleared for potato fields.

February 08, 2015

Pines to potatoes conversion in central Minnesota put on hold

Alarmed by rapid deforestation in an ecologically sensitive swath of central Minnesota, state regulators have ordered a broad environmental review that will temporarily halt conversion of the region’s jackpine stands to potato fields.

February 03, 2015

National Potato Council applauds new IOM recommendation on white potatoes

Today, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report recommending fresh white potatoes to be an eligible vegetable for purchase using the WIC Cash Value Voucher. This is a reversal compared to previous IOM recommendations

February 03, 2015

Ron Norman to Receive NPPGA's Meritorious Service Award

The Northern Plains Potato Growers Association will honor Ron Norman with its Meritorious Service Award at their banquet on February 17th.

January 31, 2015

Potato Psyllids in Pacific Northwest declining

Levels of zebra chip, a crop disease in potatoes spread by potato psyllids and caused by the Liberibacter bacterium, were down signficiantly in the Pacific Northwest.

January 28, 2015

Expert: Idaho potato industry has too much capacity

A former Potato Growers of Idaho executive director believes Idaho’s capacity to produce and pack potatoes has outgrown the market, at the expense of growers.

January 25, 2015

New infested acreage has been added to Idaho's pale cyst nematode program.

Officials with Idaho’s pale cyst nematode eradication program say they’ve discovered three more infested fields totaling 994 acres since October, including two fields that had previously been deregulated from the program.

Impression of one of the many POTATO EXPO 2015 receptions

January 20, 2015

Potato Expo 2015 over... time to start planning for Potato Expo 2016

POTATO EXPO 2015, held January 7-9, in Orlando, Florida, turned out to be the greatest event
yet for exhibitors and attendees.

NPC 2014 President Randy Hardy hands the award to Brendon Rockey and Sheldon Rockey with wife Nicole.

January 20, 2015

Rockey Farm (Colorado) receives the NPC 2014 Environmental Stewardship Award

Brendon and Sheldon Rockey of Rockey Farms in Center, Colorado, were named the recipients of the prestigious 2014 Environmental Stewardship Award presented at the National Potato Council’s 2015 Annual Meeting.

January 15, 2015

US Potato Growers select 2015 National Potato Council leadership

At the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2015 Annual Meeting, held January 9-10, 2015, in Orlando, Florida, Dan Lake from Lake Seed, Inc. of Ronan, Montana, was elected to serve as NPC’s president for 2015 and to lead the council’s Executive Committee.

January 14, 2015

La resistencia al Tizón Tardío como herramienta de control en los países en desarrollo

El tizón tardío de la papa puede ser controlado con varias estrategias, incluyendo la resistencia del huesped. Desafortunadamente, los esfuerzos hasta la fecha para utilizarla han llevado a un éxito limitado. Este es el tema principal del artículo escrito por G. A. Forbes; M. Huarte para la Revista Latinoamericana de la Papa, Volumen 18 (2), 2014.

January 05, 2015

Washington-Oregon Potato Conference: a regionally popular, prominent event

Once again, the Washington State Potato Commission and Oregon Potato Commission have joined forces in the planning and execution of the 2015 Washington/Oregon Potato Conference, Jan. 27-29.

January 04, 2015

Fire Destroys Potato Storage buildings of Norman Crooks Farms

Nearly 20 fire departments responded to flames at a Montcalm County potato farm (Michigan) Wednesday, but none of the potato storage buildings, housing farm equipment and millions of potatoes, could be saved

December 23, 2014

West Coast Labor Dispute is Hurting Idaho Potato Industry

Port disruptions on the West Coast due to labor contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) are hurting Idaho agriculture and Idaho’s exporters.