Michigan State Receives $5 Million for Potato Research
Sept. 27 - Michigan State University has been awarded a four-year, $5.4 million grant to improve the quality, yield, drought tolerance and disease resistance of potatoes and tomatoes.
New Insecticide for Potatoes Registered by Syngenta
Sept. 26 - Syngenta Crop Protection has received word of the federal registration of Voliam Flexi insecticide by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Syngenta's Voliam Xpress Insecticide Registered in the U.S.
Sept. 25 - Syngenta Crop Protection's Voliam Xpress insecticide has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Wisconsin Potato Association Names Executive Director
Sept. 16 - The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association has named Duane Maatz of Grand Forks, N.D., its new executive director.
United Crop Transition Conference Forecasts Balance in Potato Production
Sept. 10 - The 2008 potato crop - with reduced acres planted and yields - will be on par with the five year average with no one reporting transcendent yields. That was the general consensus among the regional cooperative members of United Potato Growers of America and United Potato Growers of Canada at the Sept. 10 meeting in Pocatello, Idaho.
Specialty Crop Chemical Supplier Bought Out
Sept. 5 - Advan LLC became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sipcam Agro USA Inc. on Sept. 1.
Idaho Meeting Focuses on USDA Numbers, GAP Audits
Sept. 3 - Last week's Idaho Grower Shippers Association meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho, provided Idaho potato growers an opportunity to come together prior to harvest time to discuss transportation trends, legislative issues, the harvest outlook and other issues facing their industry in fall of 2008 and into winter of 2009.
California approves Platinum insecticide
Aug. 13 - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has approved Syngenta Crop Protection’s Platinum 75SG insecticide for use on brassica vegetables, bushberries, cucurbit vegetables, fruiting vegetables, grapes, leafy vegetables, potatoes, root vegetables, strawberries, tobacco and tuberous and corm vegetables.
Mexico Opens Borders to Alberta Seed
Aug. 8 - The Mexican market is now open to Alberta potatoes following an agreement between the Mexican and Canadian governments. The agreement allows for the immediate export of Alberta seed and table-stock potatoes from areas not under quarantine restrictions for potato cyst nematode.
Canada Announces Financial Support for Alberta Seed Growers
Aug. 6 - Federal and provincial governments in Canada announced an investment of up to $23.5 million to help Alberta seed potato growers affected by potato cyst nematode.
IPC Names iTuber II Video Contest Winners
Aug. 1 - The Idaho Potato Commission has named its winners in its second annual iTuber Video Contest. One grand prize winner was chosen, and two runners up also were named. One first-place prize also was awarded in the high school category.
Gowan acquires rights to fungicides
July 17 - Gowan Co. has reached an agreement with Dow AgroSciences to acquire the rights to its global zoxamide fungicide business, marketed primarily under the brand names ZOXIUM, GAVEL, ELECTIS, UNIKAT and HARPON.
USDA puts up $28.4M for Specialty Crop Research
July 15 - USDA is making available $28.4 million for research and Extension projects in fiscal year 2008 to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address the needs of specific crops.
United of Idaho Releases Complete Acreage Data
July 15 - United Potato Growers of Idaho has projected the statewide potato acreage at 300,266 acres for the 2008-2009 season, 12 percent lower than the acres counted by the Farm Service Agency in 2007–2008.
DuPont and Syngenta Enter Into Crop Protection Technology Exchange
June 24 - Syngenta and DuPont have announced an agreement that will broaden each company’s crop protection product portfolio and enable them to bring new products to market more efficiently.
Businessman J.R. Simplot, 99, Passes Away
May 25 - J.R. Simplot, founder of the Idaho-based agricultural company bearing his name, died May 25 at the age of 99.
Syngenta Sponsors Blight Hotline
May 14 - Syngenta Crop Protection has once again partnered with five universities located in key potato regions to bring blight hotlines to growers in 2008.
USDA, CFIA Set Testing Guidelines for Nematodes
May 5 - USDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have announced modified guidelines to allow for the continued trade of potatoes should there be future detections of potato cyst nematodes in either the United States or Canada, according to the agencies.
Simplot Buys California Ag Company
April 30 - J.R. Simplot Co. has acquired a majority interest in Britz Fertilizers agricultural inputs business.
Idaho Commission in Second Year of YouTube Contest
April 30 - The Idaho Potato Commission is once again inviting Idaho potato fans to work their magic in front of the camera in the iTuber Video Contest Take II.
April Potato Stocks Up 10 Percent From April 2007
April 23 - The 13 major potato States held 134 million cwt. of potatoes in storage April 1, up 10 percent from a year ago and 15 percent above April 1, 2006.
Red River Valley Growers Join United
April 14 - The steering committee for the newly formed Red River Valley Fresh Potato Growers Cooperative has announced it has joined the United Potato Growers of America.
Wada Farms, Farm Fresh Direct Form Fresh Potato Marketing Group
April 7 - Wada Farms Marketing Group, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Farm Fresh Direct, Monte Vista, Colo., have partnered to create Category Partners LLC, a marketing organization designed to better enable the two potato suppliers to support the changing needs of retailers, foodservice operators, wholesalers and consumers.
No-Match Letters Move Forward
March 25 - The Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have proposed changes to a No-Match Rule that was shot down by a district judge last fall, clearing the way for no-match letters to be sent out this year.
March Potato Stocks Up 8 Percent from Last Year
March 17 - The 13 major potato states held 172 million cwt. of potatoes in storage March 1, up 8 percent from last year and 10 percent above 2006.
USDA Market Reports will Soon Provide Better Information on Potatoes
March 5 - United Potato Growers of America is working with USDA to improve potato data gathering and reporting.
UPI's Assail Insecticide Label Expanded
Feb. 27 - Nippon Soda Company has received EPA approval of Assail insecticide for use on cucurbits, stone fruit, tree nuts, legume vegetables, bulb vegetables, strawberries, blueberries and other cane and bush berries.
2007 Potato Production up 2 Percent from 2006
Feb. 21 - Total U.S. potato production for the 2007 crop year (September-August) is reported at 449 million cwt., a 2 percent increase from a year earlier, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Alberta Potato Growers Lose Millions as U.S., Mexican Border Remain Closed
Feb. 21 - Alberta’s seed potato growers may lose up to $35 million dollars in revenue this year because of the recent finding of a very limited amount of the microscopic pest, potato cyst nematode (PCN), on two Edmonton-area farms.
February Potato Stocks Up 7 Percent from Last Year
Feb. 15 - The 13 major potato states held 206 million cwt. of potatoes in storage Feb. 1, up 7 percent from last year and 9 percent above Feb. 1, 2006.
Growers Can Weigh in on Proposed H-2A Rule Changes
Feb. 13 - Fred Leitz, a Michigan farmer and treasurer of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, is concerned about proposed changes to the H-2A labor program. He wants to get the word out to growers and encourage them to participate in the rulemaking process.
United Lines Up Corporate Sponsors for 2008
Feb. 12 - United Potato Growers of America announced its 2008 corporate partners: Bayer CropScience, AMVAC Chemical Corp. and WinField Solutions.
Labor department proposes H-2A overhaul
Feb. 8 - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and Employment Standards Administration jointly proposed rules Feb. 6 to modernize the H-2A program for employing foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs, according to the labor department.
Chateau Herbicide Approved for Chemigation on Potatoes
Jan. 25 - Valent U.S.A. Corporation has received a chemigation use label for Chateau Herbicide in potatoes.
USDA Announces Enhancements to Potato Crop Insurance Provision
Jan. 23 - USDA's Risk Management Agency recently announced crop policy improvements to the Potato Federal Crop Insurance Corp.'s Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Potato crop insurance provisions.
Fresh Solution Farms to Open Southwest Michigan Plant
Jan. 23 - Fresh Solution Farms plans to open a potato processing facility in Mottville Township, just outside White Pigeon in St. Joseph County.
January Potato Stocks Up 5 Percent from Last Year
Jan. 17 - The 13 major potato States held 238 million cwt of potatoes in storage
January 1, 2008, up 5 percent from last year and 8 percent above January
1, 2006.
Syngenta Insecticide Approved for Potatoes
Jan. 14 - EPA has approved Syngenta's Endigo insecticide for use in potatoes.
Director Named for FDA Food Safety Center
Jan. 7 - Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach named Stephen Sundlof director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).
USDA Names Members of Potato Promotion Board
Jan. 7 - Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner has appointed 35 producer members and one public member to serve on the National Potato Promotion Board for three-year terms.
Potato Cyst Nematode Not Detected in Alberta, Canada
Jan. 3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed the testing of Alberta seed potato fields for 2007. Results from over 8700 soil samples have not confirmed the presence of a detectable potato cyst nematode (PCN) population.
