The Vietnam Hotel Restaurant and Institutional (HRI) industry turned out for a United States Potato Board (USPB) reception introducing US table-stock potatoes. This event was held July 20, 2010, at the New World Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. For the first time ever in this new market, the variety, versatility and high quality of US table-stock potatoes were put on display to a group of 242 chefs representing family dining restaurants, hotels, foodservice industry professionals, importers and distributors in Vietnam.

(Reuters) - Germany's BASF told EU officials "human error" was the most likely reason why unapproved, genetically modified potatoes developed by the firm contaminated a field in Sweden, the European Commission said. Executives from chemical giant BASF were summoned to Brussels on Wednesday to explain how nearly 50 of the GM potatoes - known as Amadea - were discovered among European Union-approved Amflora potatoes in late August.

Potato farmers in the south-east of South Australia have finalised negotiations with buyer McCain and will take a cut of $26.50 per tonne on current prices. The SA industry is the first to finalise its farm-gate price with the company in a decision which is expected to set prices across Australia. Farmers will get about $300 per tonne.

In just a few weeks, the harvest season will be upon us. But local farmers are about two weeks behind of where they'd like to be. That cold and wet spring that we had is the major culprit. Wheat fields had crusting. Potatoes are smaller. Alfalfa froze, and barley acreage is much smaller this year. But a small supply should lead to better profits.

After what was an almost perfect beginning to the growing season, the recent spell of prolonged high temperatures and dry conditions have been an obstacle for potato growers. The recent spell of prolonged high temperatures and dry conditions might have harmed potato crops. "The weather was ideal until three weeks ago. Everything was ahead of schedule and there were good growing conditions," said Joe Brennan, chairman of Potatoes New Brunswick's board of directors, late last week. "Then the conditions turned extremely dry and we experienced a setback. It is certainly taking a toll."

Nach einem nassen und zu kalten Frühjahr sei das Kraut im Hitzemonat Juli sehr schnell abgestorben, so dass die Pflanzen nicht mehr zu kräftigem Wachstum gelangten. Lediglich einige Spätsorten hätten vom regenreichen August profitiert und noch einmal kräftig zugelegt. Sie rechne mit einem Ertrag von etwa 300 Dezitonnen je Hektar. Die Agrargesellschaft hat in diesem Jahr auf fast 300 Hektar Kartoffeln angebaut. Wegen der günstigen klimatischen Verhältnisse seien die Erdäpfel aus Ostvorpommern besonders begehrt, sagte Schwanz.

Along North Dakota Highway 18 the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association annual Field Day included lots of discussion with a who’s who in the region’s potato production and processing industries. Breeding programs took center stage, drawing visitors from California, the Netherlands and Australia. While a discovery of potato psyllid insect pests grabbed headlines, here is what producers primarily were looking at, as described by North Dakota State University officials, including Asunta “Susie” Thompson, NDSU’s potato breeder, and colleagues.

Volgens de laatste schattingen van Agreste (het bureau statistiek van het Franse Landbouw Ministerie) komt de hoofdoogst (excl. zetmeelaardappelen) uit op 4,7 miljoen ton. Vorig seizoen toen net als dit jaar het areaal van consumptieaardappelen werd vastgesteld op 109.000 hectare (107.000 hectare in de oogstjaren 2007 en 2008) werd de uiteindelijke oogst vastgesteld op 5,15 miljoen ton. De moeizame start van het seizoen in het voorjaar en m.n. de langdurige droogte in juli zorgen dit sezioen voor een lagere gemiddelde hectareopbrengst. Volgens de verwachting van Agreste komt de totale aardappeloogst dus inclusief zetmeel, poot- en vroege aardappelen uit op 6,50 miljoen ton. Hiermee wordt de kleinste oogst sinds jaren benaderd. Alleen in 2006 werden er minder aardappelen gerooid en werd de definitieve oogst vastgesteld op 6,363 miljoen ton. Het is m.n. de oogst van zetmeelaardappelen die zorgt voor een kleine totale aardappelopbrengst. Naast het feit dat het areaal zetmeelaardappelen met 3.000 hectare is afgenomen (komt dit seizoen uit op 20.000 hectare) pakt de gemiddelde hectareopbrengst op de vaak niet bergende percelen met zetmeelaardappelen flink lager uit. De totale zetmeelaardappeloogst wordt ingeschat op bijna 870.000 ton tegen 1,1 miljoen ton in 2009. (Bron: Agf.nl)

Within the next five years Belarus’ potato export may reach 1 million tonnes, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he visited the company Otechestvo, Pruzhany District, on 7 September. The President was told that there are plans to increase the land under potato from 51,000 hectares now to 65,000 hectares within the next five years. Potato production in the public sector may be doubled to reach 2 million tonnes. Out of the figure 500,000 tonnes can be exported. After talking to the Brest Oblast Governor the Belarusian head of state said he believes that Belarusian producers are capable of exporting up to one million tonnes of potatoes.

There is now a sharp divide in the health of potatoes grown in Scotland, with a major survey covering more than 500 crops showing no evidence of the bacterial disease dickeya solani in crops grown from Scottish-origin seed. But the survey did show up nine cases of dickeya, which has devastated the Dutch potato industry in the past five years, in 26 crops grown from seed from a source outside Scotland. This more than doubles the previous number of known cases of dickeya which have been found in Scotland. All of them are linked to seed from outwith Scotland.