Viewing new starch-friendly potato varieties and learning more about the Meade Farm starch operation in Ireland were top of the agenda for the recent visit of World Potato Congress (WPC) delegates.
As Caroline Allen reports for Agriland, after three days of ground-breaking research presentations and industry networking in Dublin, close to 100 of the 1,000 delegates from the 11th WPC journeyed to Meade Farm in Lobinstown, Navan, Co. Meath on June 2, to see sustainability in action.
Meade’s 2020 investment in a state-of-the-art potato-starch extraction facility has created a new market which can aid the long-term sustainability of Ireland’s potato crops.
While the extraction operation at Meade Farm derives much of its sustainability credentials from the utilisation of surplus and Class II potato stocks, growing specific starch-friendly varieties can reduce carbon emissions and can serve as a back-up should surplus/Class II stocks become depleted.
Varieties with a higher dry matter content produce more starch and therefore, less tonnage goes through the system, requiring less energy. Meade Farm is currently trialling Agrico’s Ardeche variety which has over 25% dry matter and is high yielding.
Source: Agriland. Read the full story here
Photo: Credit and courtesy Agriland
