Dundee potato events draw global focus
A hillside overlooking Dundee is set to become the focal point for the world's potato industry on Thursday (August 7). Potatoes in Practice (PiP) takes place at Gourdie Farm, by Invergowrie, and will draw over 600 industry representatives from just down the road to as far afield as China.
Sponsored by Potato Council and hosted by SCRI, Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and CSC Potatocare, the event is now well established as the leading UK field-based event for growers, merchants, seed suppliers, packers and processors to catch up on the latest potato-related research. It will also play host to a visit by a delegation from China, led by government officials from Beijing. The next day (August 8), one of the delegation is due to address the SCRI conference Improving International Potato Production, as are guests from India, the Netherlands and the International Potato Centre in Peru.
Potato Council seed and export manager Mark Prentice said: "With Potatoes in Practice and the conference, the attention of the global potato industry will be focused on Scotland for these two days. The Chinese delegation underlines the importance of the two events, and this is a good opportunity to further trade relations with this key potential market. All the many international visitors we are expecting will see the high health benefits British seed potatoes provide, and the fact we can demonstrate these is another key strength."
The focus of PiP 2008 is to explore how the latest levy-funded research addresses today's priorities. "There's been a seismic shift in priorities for the potato industry since last year's event. Growers have experienced massive increases in input costs. Withdrawals and threatened revocations of a number of key pesticides, tighter regulations and a changing spectrum of pest and disease threats all conspire to challenge the way you can profitably grow potatoes."
Potatoes in Practice demonstrates the broad range of potato research carried out on behalf of growers and funded by Potato Council and the industry in general. All the field work on show at PiP is geared towards delivering solutions to current challenges.
Free to attend, seminar topics cover the carbon footprint of potato production, virus awareness and how changing consumer interests are affecting the market. The SCRI conference is the UK's biggest event to mark the United Nations International Year of the Potato.
