The weather in September has been exceptionally good for harvesting. This means that Finnish farmers are already on the final stretch of lifting potatoes. Many farmers will finish harvesting during the weekend. Heavy rain earlier in the season does raise concerns about storage quality. However, the potatoes are now in storage, at least, unlike last year when frost took away 10 % of the crop....
As always, the markets differ between different countries and regions. However, some conclusions can be drawn from the current situation. In France the yields are relatively low with smallish tuber size. The hot temperature has, in addition, slowed down harvesting. In the UK there are more defects and diseases than normally. This has also had a positive effect on demand and prices. On the other hand, Poland is suffering from excess supply and prices as low as 30 to 4o Euros...
Potato Europe exhibition was again a great event. We would liketo thank all our partners for pleasant meetings in warm France. We'll meet again at latest in Potato Europe 2017 in Emmeloord, the Netherlands! ...
Luonnosta is visiting Potato Europe on the 14th and 15th of September in Villers-St-Christophe, France. Antti (+358 400 256 367, antti.kuusisto@luonnosta.fi) and Olga (+358 40 709 4843, olga.andreeva@luonnosta.fi) are happy to meet you there, if you are attending. Just give us a call or send a message and let’s agree on a meeting!...
Autumns first nightfrosts were observed in potato fields during the last days of August. It is relatively common at these latitudes to have sub-zero temperatures in August during a couple of nights. This time no significant damages have been reported. Most likely the rainy conditions have helped in protecting potato plants as moisture works well against frost....
Main production areas in Finland have experienced heavy rainfall during the last couple of weeks. This has raised concerns about the storage quality of potato as drowned potatoes could easily cause a lot of damage during the long storage season. This is further emphasised by the fact that water induced damages might show symptoms only after being already delivered to supermarkets and to consumers. The growers, packers, industries and traders alike will concentrate on selecting and analyzing lots to reduce...
Our office will be closed on Friday the 12th of August due to our annual feedback day. We'll have enough breaks so that we can handle urgent matters. We apologize for any inconvenience!...
Finnish Potato Growers Field Day will be organized on the 19th of August from 10.00 to 15.00. The event is held in Uusikaarlepyy alongside Finnish west coast. The Field Day includes a miniseminar as well as variety trials and other experiments. Anyone interested in participating can check driving instructions from Google Maps. ...
Can you turn potato waste into beauty cream? A project in East Anglia University in the UK aims at finding out and the probable answer is yes. Potato and other starchy feedstocks are still wasted in huge amounts all over the world. This is not sustainable both ecologically and economically. The use of potato waste in beauty products could dramatically add value to the waste fractions. Read more on PotatoPro....
The coming season offer again a wide variety of exhibitoins for the potato people. Here's a listing of such events with dates and places. Remember to book early to get your flights and hotels! Potatoes in Practice Field Day 11th of August 2016 Dundee, the UK PotatoEurope from 14th to 15th of September 2016 Villers-Saint-Christophe, France Agroprodmash from 10th to 14th of October 2016 Moscow, Russia Interpom Primeurs from 27th to 29th of November 2016 Kortrijk, Belgium Fruit Logistica from 8th to 10th of February...