Potato Review

Clampdown on Ghana imports VEGETABLE importers who bring goods into Ghana without permits will face sti penalties, the country’s Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops has warned. A permit must be released by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture before products can be imported, Yaw Frimpong Addo stressed in a recent statement. It is hoped the move will encourage more growers in Ghana, so the country can become more self-su cient. In a recent article on ghanaweb.com , the Deputy Minister said the Ghanian government is keen to sustain investment in his country’s own agriculture so the sector can succeed, with support from the private sector. www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER 2021 63 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Brazil Field Station established SYNTECH Research, a global provider of contract R&D services for crop protection and production products, has established a third Field Station in Brazil, in Piracicaba/SP. The new station’s soil and climatic conditions allow the cultivation of all crops of economic importance in the State and Brazil, including potatoes and other vegetables. The station’s researchers and operational sta will carry out residue studies (field and laboratory), seeds and regulated traits studies, bio-e cacy services for agrochemicals, biologicals, biostimulants, fertilisers and ecotoxicological studies, including RT25, semi-field, and field to evaluate the e ect of products on bees. The company already has field stations in Bandeirantes (Parana), and Palmeiras de Goiás, both established in the past 18 months. SynTech’s team of specialists has been based in the Piracicaba area since 2009. Piracicaba is one of the main hubs of knowledge and innovation in Brazilian agriculture, including the ESALQ University. New approach to storage extension AN American-made machine that takes a new approach to potato storage is now available in Europe and is being trialled by companies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Manufacturers of the Humigator claim it enables potatoes to be stored disease-free, for longer periods of time, without the use of chemical agents or germination inhibitors. The machine is the brainchild of father and son team, Garry and Blake Isaac. It is used by a number of potato growers in Idaho in the US where diseases like black spot, silver scurf, and fungus are prevalent. The Humigator is an air purifier which cleans a storage area’s air by humidifying and disinfecting it. It uses only water and UV for this. Yields can be increased by 10%, and storage time extended by up to 10 months, its manufacturers state. The air the Humigator expels has a 95-98% humidity level and ensures a stable temperature, resulting in minimal germination and weight loss. The Humigator purifies all the air in the storage area every three hours. It does this by extracting the air and mixing it with atomized water. Pressure changes move the water particles at high speed. This captures all airborne pathogens and separates dirty water from the cleaned air. It then discharges the water. The clean, moist air is then blown back into the storage shed. The machine was adapted to meet European standards. Various Dutch, Belgian, and German potato companies are currently testing this machine and the company says initial results look very promising. The Humigator destroys, on average, 80% of the airborne fungi and bacteria. Health rally call on heart disease SOUTH Africans are being urged to increase their intake of potatoes to help combat heart disease, and the likelihood of contracting Covid-19. As part of Heart Awareness Month, health experts in the country have raised a red flag on the deadly connection between Covid-19 and heart disease, warning that a balanced, healthy diet is more important than ever for safeguarding your health. They stated that potatoes can play a vital role in this. In a recent Harvard Health article, cardiologist Dr Dara K Lee Lewis noted that in comparison with the general population, individuals su ering from cardiovascular disease (CVD) ‘were more than twice as likely to contract severe forms of Covid-19’. Immaculate Zinde from Potatoes South Africa said potatoes o er more potassium than any other vegetable and this is a crucial ally in the struggle against high blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes. Potatoes are also naturally cholesterol- free, have zero saturated fats and are low in sodiumwhich she said are three more heart health points which work strongly in their favour, while their high fibre content can actively help lower cholesterol – another significant risk factor for heart disease. “Given the e ects of the pandemic on our health and well-being, it’s particularly important to understand the numerous rewards of potatoes for your body, and how you can cook them correctly for the most benefit,” she said.