Magazine

A greenhouse full of jars with a potential new potato variety in each jar, it’s always an impressive sight.

To the question ‘what is the most important focus in your breeding work at the moment’, we received a wide range of answers from the participating breeding and trading companies present at the annual variety presentation days in Emmeloord and its immediate surroundings.

Sitting at a table piled high with files in his office at the Ministry in Warsaw, the Polish Minister of Agriculture and Development of the rural environment

Despite the fact that Norway is only a trading country for European potato traders under special conditions, the European potato trade organisation Europatat organised its annual conference in this vast country.

Looking back on my two years in the seed potato sector, with considerable experience in related sectors such as crop protection and fertilisers, I’ve noticed that the potato sector is rather self-contained and inward looking. You can view this in different ways.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture in Poland has passed legislation to further professionalise Polish potato cultivation.

Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and the Solynta company have published the most complete genome sequence for potatoes ever.

Convenience in the preparation of potatoes is an important selling point for consumers

Growers in the five key western European potato countries are expected to increase their plantings this year, which raises the risk of over-production if growing conditions are good, writes Cedric Porter