Potato Review

POTATO REVIEW JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 5 NEWS Potatoes ballot is ‘timely’ says AHDB ‘More support needed for organic growers’ ORGANIC growers need proper recognition and financial incentives that the British Government is failing to properly provide, according to the largest certifier of UK organic land, OF&G (Organic Farmers & Growers, which has described Defra’s launch of its ‘Path to Sustainable Farming 2021- 2024’, as “a roadmap to nowhere”. Chicken product manufacturer joins R&D drive to develop potato-based alternative POTATO and rapeseed oil are the key ingredients of a new vegetarian product which looks set to be oered as an alternative by a leading producer of chicken products in the Nordic region and Ireland. Scandi Standard is joining forces with Swedish development company Veg of Lund AB in a research and development project for the new plant-based protein aimed at having both taste and texture similar to chicken. The project will run over two years. Lack of demand for new potato varieties ‘is a real risk for the industry’ SCOTTISH breeder Caledonia Potatoes is urging retailers to oer a wider range of potatoes. Director at Caledonia Potatoes Robert Doig said in a recent interview with Fresh Plaza that the time may have come for retailers to realise they can’t compete with discounters on price so need to dierentiate themselves by oering a wider range of potatoes, which creates an opportunity for new varieties AHDB launches on-farm carbon footprinting THE Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)’s Farm Excellence network has launched its first wave of on-farm carbon footprinting assessments, with three potato farms amongst the first cohort. The assessments are being carried out by SAC Consulting and ADAS between from now until March, with results leading to bespoke mitigation measures in detailed carbon action plans. Europatat’s new lobbyist EUROPATAT’S new Technical Aairs Director, Romans Vorss, has now taken up his role and will be responsible for dossiers such as plant and food safety, trade, or research and innovation. Together with the Europatat’s Secretary General, he will also support the association’s public aairs and policy objectives trough the implementation of dierent lobbying activities. The call for a ballot on the continuation of the potatoes levy is “timely” according to the AHDB, which says it is seeking “honest and robust dialogue” with the industry for its future strategy. Potatoes sector board Interim Chair Alison Levett said she hopes to have constructive conversations with grower and buyer levy payers about how the £5.8 million a year levy is used over the next five years. She also said AHDB is looking at alternative ways of calculating the potatoes levy, as it is currently based solely on planted area and does not take into account when crops are lost or destroyed. The new strategy will propose a new ‘claw back’ repayment mechanism for growers to claim in the event of crop loss - for example as a result of floods. Growers Simon Redden, Peter Thorold and John Bratley balloted growers about their views of AHDB and the levy. Requests now need to be validated by AHDB to see if a formal ballot process needs to be triggered. At the time of going to press, a ‘town hall’ meeting about the strategy for the potatoes sector had been scheduled to take place on January 7th.