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LEMKEN enhances footprint in Canada, Scott Rodger appointed as Managing Director

Compiled by on January 14, 2020

LEMKEN, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers for soil cultivation, seeding and crop care machinery, settled down in 2018 LEMKEN Canada Inc. as a fully-fledged subsidiary after two successful decades offering products and service all over the country. Scott Rodger leads the subsidiary from January 2020 as managing director and sales manager. With him, LEMKEN has found a broadly experienced and passionate ag professional. Rodger holds a Bachelor in Business Administration and brings a work history range of over…

Solynta Granted US Patent for Hybrid True Potato Seed Development

Compiled by on January 14, 2020

Solynta, the inventor and global leader in the breeding of hybrid potato cultivars produced from true potato seed, announced the grant of U.S. Patent Serial No. 10,524,436 entitled “Hybrid Potato Breeding.” The patent claims Solynta’s methods of producing potato inbreds and hybrids that are propagated from true seed. Dr. Pim Lindhout, Solynta’s Chief Scientific Officer, states “Solynta’s innovative Hybrid True Potato Seed breeding will finally unlock the humble potato’s vast potential. Not only producing more and better food but…

Solynta and Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board Expand Collaboration

Compiled by on January 3, 2020

Solynta, the global leader in the development of hybrid potato and the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) announced an expansion in their collaboration. Nutritious potatoes are both a staple and a cash crop in Rwanda and like many African countries Rwanda faces many challenges importing and storing seed tubers. Through collaboration the parties hope to bring the combination of true potato seeds and hybrids to local farmers. True potato…

WPC Announces New International Advisor in Kenya

Compiled by on December 10, 2019

The World Potato Congress is pleased to announce that Mr. Wachira Kaguongo has accepted to become the World Potato Congress Inc.’s (WPC) newest International Advisor. Mr. Kaguongo is an agricultural economist currently working with the National Potato Council of Kenya (NPCK). He joined NPCK in 2011 and has been involved in its establishment, operationalization, strategy development and resource mobilization. Over the last twenty years Mr. Kaguoungo has worked with agricultural based organizations in impact…

GM Potato Trials Point to Blight-Resistant Crops of the Future

Compiled by on December 3, 2019

A genetically modified potato with improved tuber quality and resistance to the devastating disease late blight has progressed successfully through the latest stage of trials. The field trials follow successful lab experiments to modify Maris Piper potatoes with late blight resistance genes from wild relatives of potato called Solanum americanum and Solanum venturii. To improve tuber quality, the modified Maris Piper lines also have genes switched off – or “silenced” – to…

Search for Post-Harvest Technologies as Farmers Battle Poor Prices

Compiled by on November 27, 2019

By Michel Nkurunziza, The New Times Rwanda Agricultural Board has said that it is working with agricultural experts to introduce affordable technologies that could help store potatoes for over a period of six months in a bid to fight against food insecurity and low prices affecting farmers. Rwanda produces 916,000 tonnes of Irish potatoes every year, making the crop the third most stable for the country. Potatoes cover 3.9 per cent of…

World Review Fall 2019

Compiled by on October 24, 2019

AFRICA During his presentation at the official opening of the 11th African Potato Association (APA) Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, World Potato Congress (WPC) president, Romain Cools, announced the continuous effort of his organization to be a partner of the African potato sector. Cools illustrated this by referring to the active role of African potato specialists in WPC’s global organization — Potatoes South Africa CEO Andre Jooste and Berga Lemaga of CIP, Uganda…

From our Desk

Unlocking the Potato’s True Potential

By on October 23, 2019

LAST AUGUST, at the Potato Association of America (PAA) annual meeting, I had an opportunity to talk with Michiel de Vries, Solynta’s research team lead, about the work he and his colleagues are carrying out. Solynta, a potato seed breeding company based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, has invented a fast and efficient hybrid breeding technology. One that could change global food consumption and unlock the true potential of the potato, de Vries…

Russian Production Of Frozen Potatoes Grew Ninefold

Compiled by on October 9, 2019

Production of frozen potatoes in Russia for the period 2014-18 increased from 4.7 thousand tons to 42.4 thousand tons. This was reported by RBC with reference to the Analysis of the Frozen Potato Market in Russia, prepared by BusinesStat. Analysts noted that until 2018, frozen potatoes for fast food chains were mainly imported. According to this study, in 2014-17 annual production output ranged from 4.6 thousand tons to 6.1 thousand tons, and the main growth in…

Yields more than doubled during 4-year project with smallholder farmers

Compiled by on September 20, 2019

Bayer presented challenges and best practice experiences with the implementation of its Root2Successs™ concept on the continent, during the African Potato Association congress in Kigali, Rwanda. This holistic concept supports sustainable production systems covering crop rotation, soil preparation, catch and cover crops and the use of the innovative crop protection products Emesto™, Velum™ and Serenade™. The 4-year experience with Bayer’s smallholder project in Kenya underpinned the success of the Root2Success concept: farmer…

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