Tag Archives: potatoes

Tesco potato growers win contract extension

Tesco is to issue new long term contracts worth £12 million over the next three years to British potato growers and packers.

Through the Tesco Sustainable Farming Group – Potatoes (TSFG-Potatoes), growers will benefit from greater financial certainty, allowing them to invest in their businesses for the future. The group will consist of producers and industry experts from across the country, and will aim to build stronger relationships through the whole supply chain to ensure customers are offered the best range and varieties at the right price.

Matt Simister, Tesco’s Commercial Director for Fresh Food explained, “Working collaboratively with our suppliers to ensure we provide the highest quality fresh produce for our customers is right at the heart of what we do.  Whilst there isn’t a single simple solution to resolve the uncertainty faced by many potato growers, it’s important that we all play our part. These new contracts will help to bring more confidence back into the whole potato supply chain and build a truly sustainable British potato industry.”

Under the new scheme, from September, producers will be given direct contracts with Tesco and a three year rolling commitment which will guarantee in advance, the volume of the crop that the supermarket will buy. Growers will also receive a price, based on their production costs, which will take into account inflation, farming inputs like the cost of fertiliser and the additional expenses involved in growing high quality fresh produce for customers.

Potato grower Crawford Black from Fife, Scotland added “These new three-year rolling contracts will give my family business more confidence to look further ahead, make plans and invest for the future, safe in the knowledge that we have a long-term commitment from Tesco to continue to work with us.”

Photo Caption: Tesco says the new contracts will help the industry

Photo Credit: Tesco

The post Tesco potato growers win contract extension appeared first on Hort News on 17 July 2016.

HZPC members paid more than €3/kg for 2015 crop

Grower members of the Dutch potato breeder and seed producer co-operative HZPC Holland B.V. will receive a final confirmed price of €30.28 per 100 kg of seed produced during the 2015 harvest season.

The figure is 2.6 per cent higher than the provisional figure released at the end of March and is a significant increase on last year’s final price, although still more than €3 less than in 2013. The average yield last year was 42.9 tonnes per ha, higher than in previous seasons.

Gerard Backx, CEO of HZPC, explained, “Crop 2015 is characterized by the high yields. Compared to previous years, there were a lot of seed potatoes available. We are pleased to be able to announce that we sold a record quantity of these seed potatoes from the Dutch pool. The previous record sales volume was for Crop 2010, but current year’s volume of seed potatoes sold from the pool is 3% higher. Crop 2010 was somewhat comparable to the current season, with high yields per hectares and a favourable market. But for Crop 2015 the international market was certainly less willing than in 2010.

“Last year the European market for seed potatoes was very limited because of the low prices for ware potatoes. This season the European market has recovered to a demand of a regular size.”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The post HZPC members paid more than €3/kg for 2015 crop appeared first on Hort News on 23 June 2016.

Branston begins factory extension

Leading potato supplier Branston has begun work on a new £5 million factory extension to handle potatoes for the convenience sector at its main site near Lincoln.

According to the company the 1,700 sq. ft extension, which is being built by Charcroft Construction, will peel and prepare potatoes which do not meet Class I specification before sale to convenience food producers for use in a range of products such as prepared mash and ready meals. As well as reducing waste by utilising crops which to not meet pre-packing specifications, the facility will create 20 new jobs.

Branston technical director Mark Willcox told reporters, “We’ll be adding value to potatoes that don’t make it into a pack as a class I product, which is a great way to reduce food waste – a real win for both farmers and consumers.

“We supply prepared vegetables to the UK’s top retailers and this extension will go a long way to help us meet the growing demand we’re seeing in this area. We expect that this new business-to-business part our customer portfolio will continue to grow alongside the very successful chilled prepared vegetable lines that we currently sell to the country’s leading supermarkets.”

Photo Credit: Branston

The post Branston begins factory extension appeared first on Hort News on 17 June 2017.

Ayrshire early potatoes could get PGI status

Albert Bartlett’s Scotty Brand is hoping to register ‘Ayrshire Early New Potatoes’ and ‘Ayrshire Earlies’ as a PGI under the European Union’s protected food name scheme.

A consultation is currently underway on the proposals, which coincide with the start of the Scottish early potato season. The first crops were delivered to the Morrisons’ supermarket in Ayr by Drew Young of Girvan Early Growers last week.

Michael Jarvis, of Scotty Brand, said: “Ayrshire potatoes are well on the way to achieving PGI status, which will confirm the unique quality of Ayrshire new potatoes as a result of where they are grown and the skill of the farmers.

“This drive will hopefully widen the distribution of Ayrshire New Potatoes even further, putting them firmly on the map in the UK market. If granted, the PGI status will help to preserve the national and regional food heritage of Ayrshire new potatoes, as well increasing awareness of the product both locally and throughout the EU.

“Scotty Brand Ayrshire new potatoes are harvested and packed locally and can be in store as soon as two days after lifting. Ayrshire is such an ideal location to grow early potatoes and you can really taste the fresh, earthy and sweet flavour of a true Scottish potato.”

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AKP launches new processing supply business

Potato grower and marketing organisation the AKP Group has launched a new division to help grow its processing potatoes business.

Christened the Pride of Anglia Growers, the new grower group will provide a full range of services from agronomy through to marketing, with appropriate storage, grading and transport facilities. The new business will be officially launched at Cereals next week but has been made possible by funding from the Rural Development Programme for England.

In a statement, AKP Group said it was structured around a model based on “strength in numbers” to mitigate the risks of the individual.

Photo Credit: AKP Group

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Poor conditions inhibiting potato crop growth

According to AHDB Potatoes unseasonably cold and wet conditions are hampering the early development of potato crops across the UK, as well as holding up planting for remaining fields.

The board’s Potato Weekly newsletter reported on Friday that, ‘A mix of dry and wet days, including some snow showers, was not ideal for planting yet growers were able to progress in many areas. Night temperatures have been low with some frosts.’

Although some growers in Lincolnshire and the West Midlands had finished planting and some crops were just starting to emerge, many others were still behind and frosts had caused concern, leading to some Cornish growers to keep their covers on for longer than normal. In Scotland planting conditions were described as ‘good but cold’ with some growing conditions for early planted crops said to be ‘very poor.’

Photo Credit: Richard Crowhurst

The post Poor conditions inhibiting potato crop growth appeared first on Hort News on 4 May 2016.

KWS sells potato business

KWS which is best known as a breeder and supplier of arable crop seeds has announced that it will sell its conventional seed potato business to Stet Holland B.V.

The business was formed in 2011 after KWS took over the business of Van Rijn, with who it had been working with for a number of years. Both companies are based at Emmeloord and the sale includes processing, crisping and table varieties. KWS will continue to operate in hybrid and novel potato breeding techniques.

“The future owner Stet Holland is positioned for a successful continuation of our conventional potato business while KWS will fully focus its efforts in potato utilizing its resources and know-how as a breeder to develop hybrid varieties,” commented Peter Hofmann, of KWS SAAT SE. “Hybrid breeding in potato and multiplication via seed instead of tubers is an entirely new but highly promising approach that has considerable advantages compared to conventional breeding. We have been working in this innovative field since 2011 and have achieved significant progress in the meantime.”

Peter Ton, General Manager of Stet Holland added, “KWS’ seed potato business is an excellent fit for Stet as the markets for the current KWS and Stet varieties are very complementary to each other. Taking over KWS’ variety portfolio, seed potato production, and sales channels will enable us to create synergies and gain presence in key markets and specific processing segments. KWS’ varieties, breeding material and expert employees, combined with a good customer base, will help us to strengthen Stet’s position in the seed potato market.”

Photo Credit: KWS

The post KWS sells potato business appeared first on Hort News on 15 April 2016.

Asda to sell new chips from Bartletts

Albert Bartlett has announced that Asda will be the first UK supermarket to list the newest member of its frozen potato range: Albert Bartlett Rooster Chunky Chips in a 900g pack.

The company launched its frozen range in October last year after buying the former Heinz and Aunt Bessies factory in Westwick in Norfolk. Three product lines: Homestyle chips 1.5kg, Rooster Homestyle chips 900g and Rooster Roast Potatoes 900g are available in Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and the Co-op. The new Rooster Chunky Chips will be available in Asda from 25 April and the company claims they are one of the biggest cut sizes of any branded chunky chip on the market.

Albert Bartlett’s head of marketing, Michael Jarvis, commented, “We are delighted that the Albert Bartlett frozen range is launching in Asda with the proven Homestyle Chips, Rooster Roasts and the delicious newly developed Chunky Chips. We have quality control in every step of the process, from the growing right through to the preparation and freezing at our own plant in Norfolk.”

Photo Credit: Albert Bartlett

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Potato growers warned over risk of rhizoctonia at emergence

An increasing incidence of nematodes in potato field soils risks rising levels of Rhizoctonia infection hitting emerging crops, and affecting plants right through to tuber quality at harvest, warns Spud Agronomy specialist, John Sarup.

Speaking at a Syngenta Potato Science Live event, Yorkshire-based agronomist, Mr Sarup, reported that nematode feeding damage on root stolons allows the soil-borne Rhizoctionia pathogen to get into plants more easily – with infection resulting in stem and stolon pruning that delays emergence.

“If growth is further delayed by wet or cold soils, the effects can be severe,” he advised. “However, Rhizoctonia is a relatively weak pathogen that we have seen can be effectively controlled in the soil.

“Delayed and patchy emergence has serious implications for crop management,” he added. ”Whilst the canopy appears to recover over the season, it inevitably has a consequence at harvest, with variable tuber size and maturity.” Tubers from Rhizoctonia affected plants are also typically more cracked, split and knobbly, as well as suffering Black Scurf affecting skin finish.

Syngenta trials last year, using Amistar in-furrow in a commercial potato crop, resulted in over 60% reduction in visible Rhizoctonia Black Scurf tuber infection, compared to untreated. Furthermore, there almost 40% reduction in Black Dot on tubers. Overall, there was an eight t/ha (16%) increase in yield, worth around £1120/ha, says Syngenta Technical Manager Douglas Dyas. “Control of Rhizoctonia is also paramount for crop quality and consistency for tubers destined for processing.”

Photo Credit: Syngenta

The post Potato growers warned over risk of rhizoctonia at emergence appeared first on Hort News on 11 March 2016.

New measures to control Epitrix in Scotland

New measures have come into place to protect the UK potato industry from the threat of Epitrix beetles.

EU emergency measures are already in place requiring potatoes moving from an effected area to be either washed or brushed to remove excess soil. However, there have been nine UK interceptions of Epitrix damaged potatoes, leading Defra to introduce a requirement, through the Plant Health (England) (Amendment) Order 2016, that all potatoes from Spain must be washed before being exported to the UK. This requirement came into effect on 24 February 2016. The aim is to kill or remove any Epitrix which might be present, as well as removing soil in which some life stages of the pest could be present.

Following a consultation by the Scottish Government in November last year, similar legislation will come into effect for Scottish landing ports from 21 March 2016.

Photo Credit: Defra (© Conceição Boavida Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos, Portugal)

The post New measures to control Epitrix in Scotland appeared first on Hort News on 26 February 2016.