News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices

As part of bilateral effort to ease trade barriers, Mexican potatoes will gain access to the US market under a new US Department of Agriculture proposal.

Over the next 5 years, northwest European potato prices are expected to gradually climb and elevated price volatility set to persist, according to a new report by Rabobank.

Victorian potato growers will face fewer quarantine restrictions when selling their potatoes interstate.

The European Union has granted Lebanon the right to export 50,000 tons of potatoes, reversing a decadelong export prohibition, the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry said Monday.

Potato production in Bangladesh in fiscal year (FY) 2012-13 hit a new record of 8.603 million tonnes surpassing the past record of 8.38 million tonnes in FY'11.

Total US potato and product exports for FY13 (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013) increased 4 percent in value to $1,639,911,793 and also rose 4 percent in volume to 1,561,896 metric tons (MT)--both record levels.

Vietnamese and GB authorities have approved an importation protocol for the import of British seed potatoes into Vietnam.

Yield trials of the Dutch Farmers Union VTA indicate a yield mid August 19 percent below the 5-year average.

Potato prices are expected to rise with this year’s average crop, ?bringing them back in line with the cost of production

Imports of potatoes to Romania, fresh or refrigerated, grew by 2.4 times in the first four months of this year, compared to the same period of 2012, totaling 84,841.7 tons.

The potato processing companies in the Netherlands have used significantly less potatoes in the month of July.

North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) is projecting a 22.6% production drop in the North Dakota Potato crop this fall.

The horticulture industry of Zimbabwe is calling for higher import tariffs on imported horticulture products to avert the collapse of the local industry.

US Consumers frustrated with historically high potato prices should look for some relief at the checkout lane soon when the late summer and fall crops start hitting store shelves.

Officials from Oregon and Washington are working on an upcoming joint trade mission to expand export opportunities for Northwest potatoes.

A recent study by Roy Morgan Research shows that potato chips are still Australia’s most popular snack food, with a third of Australians aged 14+ in the year to March 2013 buying the product in an average four-week period.

Sri Lanka has increased the tax on imported potatoes from Rs 15 to Rs 25 per kilo (from USD 0.11 to USD 0.19) to protect the interests of local potato farmers.

The price of potatoes in Brazil reached the highest level in the last 10 years. Farmers say that this increase is due to the reduction in the planted area and the lack of product on the market.