POTATOES.NEWSGlobal potato industry intelligence1,271 stories
A Norwegian study found three cultivars exceeded 200 mg/kg glycoalkaloids after 36 hours of retail light. Greening was four times faster at 20°C than at 6°C.
EU rules require processing potatoes to be stored above 6°C. US guidance and a 2024 Kenyan study show how warmer storage and reconditioning cut reducing sugars and lighten chips.
Life-cycle studies put fresh potatoes among the lowest-carbon staple foods. Processing, freezing and frying raise the footprint, and cooking at home can outweigh the farm.
Canada's potato crop has more than tripled since 1961. The centre of production has moved west: in 2025 Alberta and Manitoba grew almost half of the crop, while Prince Edward Island fell to third.
President Abelardo De la Espriella says PepsiCo will invest US$1 billion in Colombia over five years. The company is the country's largest industrial potato buyer.
Belgium harvested 4.7 million tonnes of potatoes in 2025, split between Flanders and Wallonia. In 2026 Flanders cut its potato area by 23% and Wallonia by 12%.
Sweden harvested a record 454,600 tonnes of starch potatoes in 2025 and 546,000 tonnes of table potatoes. The potato area grew again in 2026, to 29,080 ha.
France now grows potatoes on about a quarter of its 1961 area, but it exports more fresh potatoes than any other country. The north holds 61% of the 2026 area.
A family farm near Kalisz grows chip potatoes on about 550 ha and stores about 10,000 tonnes. PepsiCo says more than 70 contract growers supply over 200,000 tonnes to its two plants in Poland.
The Xinhua price index for Dingxi, a major potato hub in Gansu, shows farm-gate prices easing as northern harvest supplies grow. Starch from local factories is 9.80% cheaper than a year ago.
Closed stores often hold ten times more carbon dioxide than outside air. Extension data show that CO2 alone may be tolerated, but together with traces of ethylene it darkens fry colour.
Potato growers in Michigan report good yields and chip quality. But supplies of chip potatoes are plentiful, and an industry newsletter expects significant cuts in contract volumes for 2027.
