BP2013: Nine Days Until The Potato Industry Homes In On Harrogate, UK

Jointly sponsored by Branston and Grimme, BP2013 is the biennial event, dedicated to the GB potato industry and takes place next week on the 27 and 28 November at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate.

BP2013 will see many new exhibitors, from major companies to new start-ups with fresh ideas to share, to complement the regulars who will be show casing new products, innovations and services.

Andrew Starbuck

“Everybody involved in potatoes attends BP2013,” says Andrew Starbuck, Group sales manager, at joint event sponsor Grimme UK. “The potato business is very much a peoples industry. BP2013 is the opportunity to catch up with UK and worldwide customers and to discuss the year’s events and new opportunities.”

There’s always strong commitment to BP events. “Pre-registrations are at record levels, up 47 per cent on last time,” says Potato Council’s head of communications and knowledge transfer, Dr Sharon Hall. “We’re expecting over 6,000 potato growers, packers, processors, retailers, researchers, specialists, consultants, journalists, students and international visitors to home in on Harrogate next week.”

For the first time visitors arriving at BP2013 will walk straight into Potato Council’s new ‘Seed Expo’ showcasing GB’s high-health national seed crop. Established and new varieties will be on display, bred and produced to high standards, not only for GB growers, but for export to 50 countries. Raising the profile of national seed resources to the potato supply chain, the Seed Expo will welcome visitors via walk-through variety exhibits, plant health and seed information areas from breeders, growers and science.

“The BP events always seem to come around quickly and a lot has happened in two years,” says Potato Council’s director Rob Clayton. “The coldest winter’s day, the most persistent frost, the second hottest summer’s day and the wettest drought in history have reminded us that the world is changing.”

“The production highs of 2011 and lows of 2012 have brought with them a volatility not seen in a generation and growing exposure to European trade has brought new risks and threats to our industry. With seed markets opening to us in the Far East there are new opportunities too,” adds Rob. “These risks and rewards will be debated in new BP2013 business panel sessions.”

The new Question Time style business panels will feature the leading authorities in the European potato supply chain, where the experts will lead the discussions, but views from across the industry will bring subjects to life, to benefit all participants.

The GB Potato Production – Risk vs Reward panel chaired by Bidwell’s Neil Cameron will explore the ratio required by GB businesses to encourage the capital investment necessary for a progressive industry.

Chaired by Anderson’s director Jay Wootton, the ‘What drives North-West European potato market dynamics?’ panel for the first ever includes representatives from France, Holland, Belgium and Germany who will outline production costs structures and key market changes by country over the last 15 years.

Sarah Dagg harvesting 3Pre-registrations for students and young professionals looking to get a footing in the potato industry are double previous BP events. One example is Sarah Dagg, 19, a second year agriculture student at SRUC, Edinburgh who has reputation in the Scottish Borders as one of the best self-propelled harvester drivers. “I’m heading to BP2013, to learn more about what’s happening in the industry and speak to people about the career options available when I complete my studies,” says Sarah.

Potato Council is supporting initiatives to build capacity, ensure efficient business planning, up-skill the industry and encourage quality new entrants. The potato sector has a wealth of career options for those armed with the right skills or a passion to learn. Potato Council has a growing library of case studies of young professionals enthusiastic about the long term career opportunities in the potato industry: www.potato.org.uk/next-generation 

Gaining the latest industry insight on technical, agronomic, legislative and marketing developments from industry’s top experts is one of the key reasons industry flock to BP2013 en masse and frequent visitors to BP will know it’s crucial to plan your two days carefully.

Hot topics to be covered in the seminars have been carefully chosen to reflect the latest developments. Potato Council’s Dr Mike Storey and Adrian Cunnington will present a session on the future of sprout suppressants in ‘Be CIPC Compliant’; Caroline Evans and her team will launch the latest marketing campaign ‘One Voice’; International soil guru, Professor Karl Ritz, from Cranfield University will explore the complex interactions between soil, crops, microbial and animal life in, ‘What lies beneath?’; Martin Ward, the UK chief plant health officer at Defra, will present lessons learned and current risk assessment strategies aimed at mitigating impacts on agriculture and horticulture in ‘Preserving GB's biosecurity’; and  SASA's Head of Potato & Vegetable Crops Branch, John Kerr, will cover ‘Sourcing and using seed safely’.

To beat the queues and register for your free tickets now go to: www.potato.org.uk/bp2013

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is the UK’s statutory levy board, funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain and managed as an independent organisation (independent of both commercial industry and of government). Our purpose is to make our agriculture and horticulture industries more competitive and sustainable through factual, evidence-based advice, information and activity.

Potato Council is the division of AHDB which works towards making the British potato industry more sustainable, competitive and profitable and helps stimulate use of the GB potato crop in home and export markets. Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) is the leading post-harvest applied research facility for agricultural storage in the UK. It is owned by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and operated by its Potato Council division.  www.potato.org.uk

Source: The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board