Potato Review

48 POTATO REVIEW JULY/AUGUST 2022 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Potato leads the way for world’s main vegetable producer CHINA continues to lead the world’s fruit and vegetable production with a volume that in 2020 amounted to 709 million tons, and potato is the most produced vegetable. China accounted for 38% of the world’s total fruit and vegetable production in 2020. The country produced 479 million tons of vegetables, led by its potato production, which amounted to 78 million tons. China was followed by India with 208 million tons (119 million tons of vegetables and 88 million tons of fruit), 11% of the world total. The United States ranked third with 66.5 million tons, 4% of the total, corresponding to 43 million tons of vegetables and 23 million tons of fruits. Turkey ranked fourth with 52 million tons, and Brazil ranked fifth with 45 million tons; both countries occupied the same positions in 2019. Mexico ranked as the sixth-biggest world producer in 2020 with 36 million tons and was followed by Russia with 35.6 million tons. Spain ranked eighth, the same position as in 2019, with 32 million tons, according to the latest data corresponding to 2020 updated by FAO and processed by FEPEX. The findings were revealed by US-based The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). New peeling and sorting additions POTATO processing company Snow Valley has installed new peeling and sorting machinery on its three production lines. TOMRA’s Eco Steam Peeling line, the TOMRA 5A Whole Potato sorter, the TOMRA 5B sorter for wet French Fries and frozen French Fries have been added to help make operations more e cient, reduce waste, reduce the environmental impact, and o er smart connections to factory automation. Snow Valley Food is the owner of a leading frozen French Fries processing industry group of companies in Asia. Its parent company, Snow Valley Agricultural Development Co is a large organisation that operates across the whole industrial chain in the potato industry, integrating R&D, planting, production, processing, storage, transportation, and marketing. Currently, frozen French Fries hold the highest production volume for Snow Valley. Most of Snow Valley’s clients are high-quality potato suppliers to large chain catering brands, retail, and 5-star hotels and restaurants in China. Women growers’ contribution in West Bengal recognised SIX female potato growers in India have been internationally recognised for their farming work and for breaking stereotypical views of women in their local communities. The awards were recently presented by Melinda Pavek, Consul General, US Consulate General, Kolkata, and Ronald Verdonk, Counselor for Agricultural A airs, US Embassy, and are part of a joint initiative by Pepsico and USAID to build a more sustainable food system, while at the same time supporting and upskilling Bengalese women in agriculture. In 2019, PepsiCo partnered with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) initiative. The partnership aims to empower women farmers with new skills and knowledge under PepsiCo’s Sustainable Farming Program in the potato value chain in West Bengal, India. Under the programme, more than 1,000 women have been trained in potato agronomy and sustainable farming practices, with a goal of reaching 500 additional women farmers in 2022, which eventually will impact on more than 300,000 women in West Bengal through community engagement initiatives. The partnership’s work over the past three years is intended to help them become independent growers. Other community initiatives include supporting women to lease land, training men and women to support gender norms and change, and engaging male champions to design local approaches to more equitable and sustainable agriculture. Around 70% of Pepsico’s food processing potato requirements are obtained from West Bengal growers, the company has stated.