News on The Potato Supply Chain from Europe

KTH researchers developed peptide CS5 targeting Phytophthora infestans, cause of potato late blight. It blocks a key enzyme, stopping infection without harming crops and offering a sustainable alternative to chemical sprays as climate change spreads.

After decades of negotiations, the agreement between the two blocs finally entered into force on May 1, creating a market worth more than USD 22 trillion.

In the Netherlands, the weak table potato market, fewer contracts and disappointing exports are putting pressure on the seed potato market. HZPC and Agrico describe the current situation as a market correction following exceptionally strong years.

Potatoes in Practice 2026, Scotland's largest field-based potato event, will take place on Thursday, August 13, at The James Hutton Institute's Balruddery Farm in Invergowrie, near Dundee.

Las bajas cotizaciones y las lluvias invernales llevaron a muchos productores a no cosechar sus patatas y a enterrar una producción cuyo costo de recolección superaba el valor de mercado.

Belpotato.be has issued a press release outlining key points of attention for potato growers when concluding delivery contracts, as the sector continues to face pressure from challenging market conditions.

Aardappeldemodag has started planting activities for Aardappeldemodag 2026, with 2.5 hectares of the potato variety Libra planted last week.

Diversos factores, tanto económicos, productivos, como del orden del comercio internacional contribuyen a una recalibración del sector de la patata local.

Lincolnshire, the county that helped feed Britain during wartime, is back in focus as concerns grow over how much of its own food the United Kingdom can produce. The county will host a major new national farming event later this year.

Wageningen University & Research starts new field trials with genetically modified potatoes. The potatoes tested in these field trials have been genetically modified by adding or switching off multiple genes.

Growers who can no longer sell their surplus potatoes anywhere now have the option to dump their potatoes on their fields via a raw material declaration. They can register via the website of Boerenbond, which obtained the declaration for all Flemish growers.

Zoetermeer - The Dutch Potato Organisation welcomes the National Potato Week initiative, organised by No Waste Army. Additional attention for potatoes fits with the sector's ambitions to stimulate consumption and reduce food waste.

Royal Avebe has completed the potato campaign for the 2025 growing year. The potato starch factories in the Netherlands and Germany operated well and steadily during the campaign.

New trials in Europe will evaluate genetically modified potatoes with enhanced resistance to diseases such as late blight, aiming to reduce pesticide use and provide evidence for the regulatory debate on new genomic techniques.

La campaña de patata temprana en España arrancó en el Campo de Cartagena con la variedad Soprano, destacada por su alta calidad y versatilidad, en una muestra de la resiliencia y capacidad competitiva de los productores locales.

GB Potatoes recently discussed risk in its Cutting the odds: Managing risk in potato production webinar. It heard from GB Potatoes chair Alex Godfrey, the CEO and President of Potatoes USA, Blair Richardson and Rory Gibson.

Processing potato prices in Belgium have dropped to EUR 0 in , while maincrop potatoes fell to EUR 10 per tonne (USD 11) in March, driven by weak demand and ongoing oversupply in the industrial potato market.

EUROPLANT once again demonstrates its innovative strength by consistently translating advanced breeding results into tangible market success. This is based on close collaboration across the entire EUROPLANT Group