Industry News - wk ending 24 Jun '22
Potato News - North America
Large volumes of PEI potatoes arrive in Terrace, British Columbia
On June 14, 45,000 pounds of Prince Edward Island potatoes arrived for distribution around the northwest. About a dozen volunteers were on hand to assist as some pallets were quickly placed on other vehicles for transfer to other communities. Local food program workers had about a week to prepare for the arrival of the potatoes after receiving an email from Second Harvest, a national agency which gathers up food that would otherwise go to waste for distribution to food banks and other agencies.
Total potato storage holdings for Canada at 20,082,000 cwt as of June 2022
As of June 2022, the Prince Edward Island potato storage holdings stand at 7,662,000 cwt. Those in New Brunswick are holding 2,606,000 cwt and in Ontario the stand at 1,322,000 cwt
Sharp increase in packing costs for Idaho potato growers
The cost of packing Idaho’s most famous commodity, potatoes, has risen at least 36 percent over the past two years. That’s according to a new report funded by the Idaho Grower Shippers Association (IGSA), which represents shippers, growers, marketers and processors of Idaho potatoes.
Potato News - Overseas
FAO Director-General: ‘Doubling global potato production in 10 years is possible’
Potatoes could contribute even more to world history and global food security, and total production of the food crop could double in the next 10 years, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said in his keynote presentation to the 11th World Potato Congress (WPC), which was convened in Dublin at the end of May.
Marginal Growth in the European Spud Production Area
As said by market players, preliminary figures suggest that the area wedded to potato production in Europe will rise marginally, if at all, for the upcoming 2022/23 period. Massive gains in various input costs, such as fuel, fertilizer, electricity, and labor, are expected to have influenced planting decisions for the 2022/23 potato season.
Logistics News
Food Industry News
New Processing Technique Could Make Potatoes Healthier
Researchers announced early tests of a new potato processing technique designed to make our bodies digest potato starch more slowly. Laboratory demonstrations show that the approach blocks certain digestive enzymes from reaching the potato starch as quickly, leading to a more controlled release of dietary glucose.
Organic food sales continue to outpace conventional food sales
Steady growth and continuous demand have defined the organics market for several decades. In 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, total sales of organic food and non-food products garnered more than $60 billion, according to a 2021 Organic Industry Survey released by the Organic Trade Association.
Packaging industry reprioritizes amid inflation, supply chain disruption
90% of companies surveyed say they have changed how their packaging is sourced due to market forces.