After what was an almost perfect beginning to the growing season, the recent spell of prolonged high temperatures and dry conditions have been an obstacle for potato growers. The recent spell of prolonged high temperatures and dry conditions might have harmed potato crops. "The weather was ideal until three weeks ago. Everything was ahead of schedule and there were good growing conditions," said Joe Brennan, chairman of Potatoes New Brunswick's board of directors, late last week. "Then the conditions turned extremely dry and we experienced a setback. It is certainly taking a toll."

Nach einem nassen und zu kalten Frühjahr sei das Kraut im Hitzemonat Juli sehr schnell abgestorben, so dass die Pflanzen nicht mehr zu kräftigem Wachstum gelangten. Lediglich einige Spätsorten hätten vom regenreichen August profitiert und noch einmal kräftig zugelegt. Sie rechne mit einem Ertrag von etwa 300 Dezitonnen je Hektar. Die Agrargesellschaft hat in diesem Jahr auf fast 300 Hektar Kartoffeln angebaut. Wegen der günstigen klimatischen Verhältnisse seien die Erdäpfel aus Ostvorpommern besonders begehrt, sagte Schwanz.

Along North Dakota Highway 18 the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association annual Field Day included lots of discussion with a who’s who in the region’s potato production and processing industries. Breeding programs took center stage, drawing visitors from California, the Netherlands and Australia. While a discovery of potato psyllid insect pests grabbed headlines, here is what producers primarily were looking at, as described by North Dakota State University officials, including Asunta “Susie” Thompson, NDSU’s potato breeder, and colleagues.

Volgens de laatste schattingen van Agreste (het bureau statistiek van het Franse Landbouw Ministerie) komt de hoofdoogst (excl. zetmeelaardappelen) uit op 4,7 miljoen ton. Vorig seizoen toen net als dit jaar het areaal van consumptieaardappelen werd vastgesteld op 109.000 hectare (107.000 hectare in de oogstjaren 2007 en 2008) werd de uiteindelijke oogst vastgesteld op 5,15 miljoen ton. De moeizame start van het seizoen in het voorjaar en m.n. de langdurige droogte in juli zorgen dit sezioen voor een lagere gemiddelde hectareopbrengst. Volgens de verwachting van Agreste komt de totale aardappeloogst dus inclusief zetmeel, poot- en vroege aardappelen uit op 6,50 miljoen ton. Hiermee wordt de kleinste oogst sinds jaren benaderd. Alleen in 2006 werden er minder aardappelen gerooid en werd de definitieve oogst vastgesteld op 6,363 miljoen ton. Het is m.n. de oogst van zetmeelaardappelen die zorgt voor een kleine totale aardappelopbrengst. Naast het feit dat het areaal zetmeelaardappelen met 3.000 hectare is afgenomen (komt dit seizoen uit op 20.000 hectare) pakt de gemiddelde hectareopbrengst op de vaak niet bergende percelen met zetmeelaardappelen flink lager uit. De totale zetmeelaardappeloogst wordt ingeschat op bijna 870.000 ton tegen 1,1 miljoen ton in 2009. (Bron: Agf.nl)

Within the next five years Belarus’ potato export may reach 1 million tonnes, said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as he visited the company Otechestvo, Pruzhany District, on 7 September. The President was told that there are plans to increase the land under potato from 51,000 hectares now to 65,000 hectares within the next five years. Potato production in the public sector may be doubled to reach 2 million tonnes. Out of the figure 500,000 tonnes can be exported. After talking to the Brest Oblast Governor the Belarusian head of state said he believes that Belarusian producers are capable of exporting up to one million tonnes of potatoes.

There is now a sharp divide in the health of potatoes grown in Scotland, with a major survey covering more than 500 crops showing no evidence of the bacterial disease dickeya solani in crops grown from Scottish-origin seed. But the survey did show up nine cases of dickeya, which has devastated the Dutch potato industry in the past five years, in 26 crops grown from seed from a source outside Scotland. This more than doubles the previous number of known cases of dickeya which have been found in Scotland. All of them are linked to seed from outwith Scotland.

Harvested area for fall-season potatoes is forecast by the USDA to be down four percent from 2009. And given average yields, the department says fall potato production is expected to decline from last year’s crop. There are also tighter potato supplies in places like Canada, Europe and Russia. So, USDA economist Lewrene Glaser says, “U.S. grower prices are expected to average above year earlier levels during the 2010-2011 marketing year.”

According to Statistics Estonia, Estonian resident consumes 188 grams of potatoes a day, Latvian and Lithuanian residents 274 and 234 grams, respectively. The data are based on the European food consumption database DAFNE (Data Food Networking), which since autumn 2010 also contains data on Estonia.

Nach einigen Tagen mit guten Rodebedingungen erzwingen die Niederschläge diese Woche wieder eine Pause. Das für die Aufkäufer verfügbare Angebot hält sich in Grenzen, und die Qualität leidet unter den nassen Bedingungen. Zu der verminderten Qualität kommt langsam die Sorge, ob eine Rodung überhaupt möglich sein wird. Besonders auf schwereren Böden braucht es dazu noch eine längere herbstliche Trockenphase. In jedem Fall ist von sehr schwierigen Rodebedingungen auszugehen.

On September 8th and 9th, the Solana group exhibits at its own stand (No. ZC 05 in the tent area) at trade fair PotatoEurope in Bockerode, Hanover – nearly a home match for the North German potato breeder. And the Solana group is emphasizing at Potato Europe that a lot has changed this year. True to the motto "More quality. More flexibility. More internationality." the Solana GmbH & Co. KG assumes distribution and marketing of SaKa potato varieties in Germany from July 1st, 2010.