Industry News - wk ending 1 Apr '22
Potato News - North America
Not good news for Prince Edward Island seed potato industry on exports to the U.S.
Prince Edward Island potato farmers got a visit from the federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on Saturday, March 26, who told them seed potato growers will be waiting at least another year for good news on the reopening of the market for exports to the U.S.
Wild relatives and crop breeding: Finding better tools for future-proofing potatoes
In a news release issued yesterday, researchers based in Hawaii, the US mainland and London say they found it is critical for breeders to have access to the best information possible to make informed decisions about which breeding strategies will lead to the desired traits needed in a changing climate.
Crop specialists: This ‘cool pest prediction tool’ comes in handy for potato growers
A weather-based decision support system that originated 15 years ago in the tree fruit orchards of Washington state has branched into the region’s potato fields. The Pacific Northwest Potato Decision Aid System (DAS) collects regional weather inputs and combines that with research-based data on local pest populations. It then alerts growers to when different insect populations may be active at different stages of their life cycle, helping ag crews schedule controls more precisely.
Potato News - Overseas
Potatoes in Cyprus – frosts killed 70% of plantings
In previous years, bad weather persisted up until mid-February at worse,” he said. “A frost wave in March is unprecedented.” It has also proved deadly. “Approximately 70 per cent of aggregate potato production in Cyprus has been destroyed and the crop left relatively intact is of subpar quality,” he said.
FAO updates global potato statistics
Top potato producers of 2020:
China
India
Ukraine
Russian Federation
United States of America
War in Ukraine, sky-high production costs make for uncertain times in the European potato industry
At the beginning of this year, production cost for the oncoming season was expected to grow by 15 to 20%. Gas, petrol and electricity have seen tremendous price hikes since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. The same is true for fertilizer, mainly for nitrogen and potash. And these increases multiplied several-fold and will inevitably have consequences on all the prices of raw material and products entering the potato value chain.
U.S. border closure, high input costs weighing heavy on Prince Edward Island potato industry
“There is a bit of an ominous feel in the industry,” Cousins said. “Not only with the border closure, and all of the science and politics around that, but also the volatility in the world markets.”
Video: Ukrainian farmers fight to grow food amid war
Spring sowing has begun across western Ukraine but with raging war in the country, the prospects of completing it successfully look bleak for many Ukrainian farmers. Ukrainian farmer Terras Mansiok owns a family farm near Lviv. In an interview with Reuters, he described the difficulties he and other farmers in Ukraine are dealing with now.
Logistics News
Americans complain about a sharp rise in the price of groceries in stores
Rising fuel prices are pushing up logistics costs. According to the US Department of Labor, in February, the consumer price index in the country over the past 12 months reached 7.9% , which was the highest figure since January 1982, with gasoline, real estate and food prices rising the most.
CONTAINER PREMIUMS: Rates strengthen to US East Coast as shippers seek to avoid US West Coast
Some further strengthening was seen over the course of the week for trans-Pacific premiums as many US-based importers continued booking cargoes to the US East Coast, rather than face the uncertainty of labor negotiations on the US West Coast. Register Now This has only served to fuel a currently worsening situation on the East Coast, with higher booking rates coming hand in hand with the unrelenting congestion at key USEC ports, headlined by Charleston with some 30 vessels waiting to birth.
US Considers New Oil Release From Strategic Reserve
The U.S. is considering another release of oil from its emergency reserves as prices continue to surge after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said March 25.
Ukraine War, China Lockdowns Hit Global Supply Chains
Global supply strains that started to ease in early 2022 are worsening again as headwinds strengthen from the war in Ukraine and China’s Covid lockdowns, threatening slower growth and faster inflation across the global economy.
Global Supply Lines Brace for Economic Storm to Widen
Global supply strains that started to ease in early 2022 are worsening again as headwinds strengthen from the war in Ukraine and China’s COVID lockdowns, threatening slower growth and faster inflation across the global economy.
Food Industry News
Ultra-Processed Foods Are Trashing The Planet, Scientists Warn
There are more than 7,000 edible plant species which could be consumed for food. But today, 90 percent of global energy intake comes from 15 crop species, with more than half of the world's population relying on just three cereal crops: rice, wheat, and maize.
Packaged Facts research reveals growing trends in pet nutrition
Packaged Facts’ data revealed the trends across generations via personal attitudes toward pet care, which the American Pet Products Association took a closer look at in volume four of its Generational Report. According to Packaged Facts, most pet owners across all generations consider their pets to be part of their family, with a high of 81% of Baby Boomers and a low of 75% of Millennials/Gen Z.
The Challenges of Salt Reduction
In October 2021, FDA issued a final guidance with voluntary targets and recommendations for salt over the next two and a half years. The agency’s goal is to persuade the food industry to voluntarily reduce sodium content from an average of 3,400 mg per person per day to 3,000 mg. While this goal is still well above the generally recommended sodium daily target of 2,300 mg per day, the objective is to foster a gradual reduction in sodium content, such that technical and market constraints around sodium reduction can be overcome over time.
FDA’s New Reportable Food Registry Will Lead to Better Data, Safer Food
In January 2022, FDA published a new, interactive public data dashboard that allows anyone to view data from the agency’s Reportable Food Registry (RFR). This registry, a part of FDA-TRACK, the agency’s performance management program, is an electronic portal for the food industry to report when there is concern that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences. The RFR applies to all FDA-regulated categories of food and feed, except for dietary supplements and infant formula, which fall under a different reporting system.
Investors continue to seek disruptive opportunities in food and beverage
Private investment in startup food and food technology companies surged to $13.1 billion in 2021, up from $6 billion in 2020, according to the consultancy Deloitte’s recently released “Road to next” report. Interest in health and wellness-oriented applications and developing technologies that contribute to the health of the environment helped fuel the trend, and it shows no signs of slowing in 2022.