On Processing Potato 3: Survey of Performances, Productivity and Losses in the Supply Chain

Abstract

Potato has strong links between the actors as varieties bred by breeders, crop management of growers and site location of processors strongly influence the yield and quality of the finished products. Here, the actors (breeders, growers, processors, retailers and users) in the value chain are recognized, and their information and material flows identified. The influence of genotype, environment and crop management and the efficient use of resources during the production of raw material, tubers harvested for processing purposes, are delineated. It is shown that climate change affects performance and that consumers looking for quality and new products are hardly interested in the primary processes, nor are breeders and processors showing interest in consumer concerns. Crop performance is dependent on yield and quality (dry matter, sugars, tuber size and desired and undesired constituents). Factory performance relies on recovery, reuse of rejects and avoidance of wastes. Heatmaps drawn of classes of productivity and losses and their attributes reveal where gains are to be made on fields, farms and factories to improve efficiencies, reduce the impact on the environment, and opportunities for decarbonisation.

On Processing Potato. 5. Survey of Societal Benefits, Stewardship and Surroundings

“…Processing potato is a rapidly expanding industry venturing into new countries and regions constantly, meeting new societal demands. The link between raw material, the tubers to be harvested and the processors is a strong one as was outlined in Surveys 2 and 3 (Haverkort et al 2022b(Haverkort et al , 2022c. All these factors make potato processing of more relevance for communities involved than for cereals.…”

“…To sustain processing in the future, sustainability measures such as increasing efficiencies (Haverkort et al 2022c) are being taken. Is it possible to systematically itemize which measures growers, processors and consumers are taking or need to take to assure the future for the market and to learn who else takes part in the steering, carrying out and monitoring of sustainability-related issues?…”

“…When managed more effectively, usually with the assistance of DSS (decision support systems) and breeding of tolerant and resistant varieties, their efficiency increases through a reduction of input and/or an increase in crop yield. This is treated extensively in Survey 3 (Haverkort et al 2022c). The water use efficiency ameliorates with better soil structure, irrigation scheduling and distribution (drip versus rain gun).…”