News on Potato Varieties and Seed from Europe

The classic Austrian potato variety 'Sieglinde' makes a comeback thanks to Priska and Erich Stekovics, who revived this nearly 100-year-old favorite. Now available again under SPAR as organic waxy potatoes for €1.99 (USD 2.15) at SPAR, EUROSPAR, and INTERSPAR.

Project Oppotunity completed the first CRISPR-Cas field trials of starch potatoes bred for late blight resistance, with test plots in Sweden and Denmark. Early results indicate stronger disease resistance and a very promising path to resilient crops.

The 'Ultimate Roast Potato' named after a much-loved film character is back on shelves after high demand. Branston says deliveries of its Nemo potato will rise 87 % this season versus 2024, bringing faster-cooking, great-tasting roasts to more homes!

Germany’s POMORROW project will decode the genes of 6,357 potato varieties to advance breeding of drought-tolerant, pest-resistant and nutrient-efficient potatoes, supporting sustainable, climate-smart farming and securing future global food supplies.

Royal HZPC Group plans to acquire Ireland-based IPM Potato Group, a leading seed potato breeder and exporter, boosting HZPC’s UK and global presence.

The UK distributor of Algifol is to exhibit at British Potato for a second time and is running a special competition to mark 20 years of representing the seaweed-based biostimulant in the UK.

Fruit Attraction 2025 (30 Sep–2 Oct, IFEMA Madrid) hosts 2,460 exhibitors (+8.4%), 78,000 m² (+10%) and 120,000 professionals. Key highlights: Innova&Tech growth, Organic Hub Tour, Mexico & Malaysia as guest importers, tomato as featured product.

Biostimulant strategies can help potato crops better cope with field stress conditions, as well as enhance tuber numbers and proportion of marketable crop, according to results of plots at Potatoes in Practice Open Day at the James Hutton Institute.

On August 27, 2025, industry leaders met in the Netherlands for the conference Europe’s Place in a Changing Potato World, co-organised by Potato Europe, Europatat and World Potato Markets during Potato Europe 2025.

EUROPLANT marked major anniversaries by raising €20,000 (USD 21,400) for AGUAPAN, a Peruvian initiative preserving potato diversity crucial for breeding, climate resilience, and global food security.

PotatoEurope 2025 set records with 17,268 visitors from 107 countries on Sept 3-4 in Lelystad, Netherlands. Live demos, trial fields, and top innovations like Croptimal’s Croptiscan 9000 highlighted the event. Next edition: Sept 9-10, 2026, Germany.

PotatoEurope 2025 takes place 3–4 Sept. at WUR Lelystad with 300+ exhibitors & visitors from 119 countries. Highlights: trial harvests, ICM & market conferences, live demos from harvest to sorting, and innovation test fields.

Branston potato growers gathered in Lincolnshire to explore new varieties, including a nutty salad potato and Inca Rosa, aimed at supermarkets by 2026. The field walk showcased trials, yields, and innovations, with Tesco also backing the development.

Seed potato areas in Western Europe reached 106,864 ha in 2025, up 9,297 ha (+9.53%) from 2024. Netherlands, France and Germany account for 80%. Growth is led by processing and export varieties, confirming their strategic role.

Potato Professionals in the United Kingdom gathered for the annual Potatoes in Practice (PiP)event, hosted by the National Potato Innovation Centre (NPIC), in partnership with SRUC and Agrii, at The James Hutton Institute’s Baldruddery Farm.

IFCG-Egypt will be participating as an exhibitor at the Anuga Food Trade Show 2025, one of the world’s most influential platforms for food innovation and global sourcing. They will showcase the latest generation of frozen sweet potato fries.

The European Investment Bank has signed a EUR 20 million venture debt financing agreement with Dutch biotechnology company Solynta, to accelerate the development of potato varieties with enhanced resistance to disease and resilience to climate change

PotatoEurope 2025, set for 3–4 Sept in Lelystad, Netherlands, showcases live machinery demos, smart agri-tech, and innovations in potato farming. With 300+ exhibitors and 15,000 visitors, it’s the premier hub to innovate, network, and grow.