Potato Review

52 POTATO REVIEW MAY/JUNE 2022 INTERNATIONAL Research centre launched A RESEARCH partnership, which will include a Centre of Excellence for Potato Research and Extension, is to be launched in New Zealand’s Canterbury region. The launch follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the country’s board of Potatoes NZ Inc and Lincoln University. Lincoln University Associate Professor of Plant Science, Clive Kaiser, who will be the establishment Director for the centre, said it will be extension-led and “grower-centric”. The partnership aims to extend the knowledge gained through research, typically conducted by universities and research centres, to growers in the field. “The research conducted at the Centre will be focused on working with potato growers to identify and understand the problems confronting them and to devise solutions to those problems. The solutions will be developed through discovering new knowledge, as well as by using existing knowledge in new ways, and will be underpinned by strong local, national and international collaborations. This cooperative, collaborative research approach will have immediate, significant and long-lasting benefits for NZ growers,” he said. Prior to joining Lincoln University, Clive was Interim Director of the Hermiston Agricultural and Research Extension Center (HAREC) – a world-renowned research centre for potatoes – based at Oregon State University. The NZ Potato industry is valued at over $1 billion per annum, with 175 growers across the country and multiple frozen chip and crisp processors. Potato season to Europe set to start earlier ISRAEL’S potato harvest started a few weeks sooner following special requests from Europe after heavy winter rains impacted crops. Eitan Botzer, Managing Director of Atzmona Potato Production, an Israeli exporter and producer of organic and conventional potatoes and carrots, said: “We see an earlier than usual demand for potatoes from Israel in Europe. The normal main shipments usually start from weeks 17 to 18 from us into Europe, but will likely start earlier from around weeks 14-15. “The emphasis is mainly on organic potatoes with our customers and importers in Europe asking us to supply earlier due to the uncertain quality of potato crops in those countries caused by the heavy rains.” He said Israeli producers will be able to adjust their growing season and supply European customers earlier despite frost damage during January and the early part of February. Insights at farm days GRIMME Farm Days are being organised this year at the company’s Grimme Farm in Cappeln (close to Oldenburg). The events aim to give existing and potential customers an insight into the product-highlights of recent years and will take place from June 21st to 24th. It will demonstrate its latest developments for the potato sector, including technology and digital solutions. Calls for price increases AUSTRALIAN vegetable industry group AUSVEG has been calling for an increase in prices paid to potato growers. Prices have remained stable over the past two years, despite steep increases in farm input costs for Australian growers and data from Harvest to Home has indicated that retail prices have remained at pre-pandemic levels while on-farm running costs have increased. Growers have faced increases of more than 40% in fertiliser, chemical and fuel costs and 20% increases in wages and transport costs. Vegetable prices have seen the lowest percentage increase in price across all the agricultural commodities, at an average of just 7.5% which is well below the average percentage of agriculture commodities of about 59.2%, and the average increase in input costs of 110.3%. Di cult decisions for EU growers GROWERS in the EU are debating whether to continue growing potatoes, or whether to replace the crop with maize or sunflowers because of rising costs, according to a report by Fresh Plaza. At the beginning of this year, production costs for the potato season were expected to increase by 15-20%. However, since the start of the war in Ukraine, both energy and fuel prices, which were already high, have skyrocketed. This, together with the good prices being achieved by maize and sunflower, is causing some potato producers in northern and central Europe to rethink what they should grow. Faced with this situation, potato producers are trying to negotiate higher prices with their buyers or more flexible conditions. However, the NEPG (European association that brings together potato producers from France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium) doesn’t believe there will be major changes in purchase prices, both in consumer and processing potatoes, although markets have been somewhat hesitant in recent weeks. In addition, there is a degree of uncertainty regarding the availability and cost of frying oil (for the coming weeks and months), as well as logistical di culties (containers and transport) and higher related costs. The NEPG recommends producers take into account the uncertainties in production costs within contracts and the area they sow.