
Butan: Dilemma facing potato farmers
Valley’s soil quality is deemed healthy, yet concerns arise over unchecked chemical fertiliser usage Yangyel Lhaden
Valley’s soil quality is deemed healthy, yet concerns arise over unchecked chemical fertiliser usage Yangyel Lhaden
In just a few days, the early new potato harvest will start in Seville. Together with the one from Cartagena, this is the first European potato of the season.
In a surprising turn of events, the export of potato varieties for processing from India has skyrocketed in January 2024, surging approximately sevenfold.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the retail market is experiencing a 73 per cent increase in potato prices compared to last year, with the cost reaching Tk 40 per kg during the peak season.
Farmers say it comes amidst rising energy and seed costs A farm in the south of the Island is stopping potato production due to a ‘sharp slump’ in local sales.
Bill Gates owns a farm in Washington state that produces potatoes for McDonald’s French fries, a fact confirmed by Snopes and acknowledged on McDonald’s website.
Egypt is expanding the market for its agricultural products, exporting for the first time potatoes to Morocco and strawberries to Canada.
Across Europe, the situation is similar, with potato planting still delayed in many early locations, and the weather outlook for the next week to ten days does not offer much optimism for additional improvement.