TWO NEW FACTORIES TO BE BUILT IN KAZAKHSTAN
According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, two foreign companies are working in the country on the implementation of projects in the field of processing agricultural products.
The first plant - for the processing of legumes and grains - is preparing to open in the Kostanay region. The investor is the Turkish company Arbel. The expected annual production capacity will be about 170 thousand tons of peas, red and green lentils, chickpeas and durum wheat. The volume of investments at the first stage is 8,5 million dollars. Currently, the process equipment is being installed, as well as obtaining the relevant permits.
The second enterprise - for the production of dehydrated vegetables - is planned to be built in the Zhambyl region, which occupies a leading position in Kazakhstan in the production of onions. The investor is the Chinese company Wanlin Group Limited, which owns two enterprises of this profile in China. The company's president, Li Yantao, said the project is planned to be implemented in three phases over five years, with a total investment of $30 million. Pilot onion plantings have already been carried out in three districts of the Zhambyl region.
LAMB WESTON PLANS TO OPEN A POTATO PROCESSING PLANT IN ARGENTINA
According to PotatoPro.com, Lamb Weston is preparing to invest $250 million in the Argentine potato industry. Representatives of Lamb Weston explained that when choosing a country to locate a new enterprise, the company was guided by a number of factors, including favorable climatic conditions for growing potatoes, the availability of sufficient land and a comfortable business environment. According to FAO, Argentina is the ninth largest potato producer in the world with a production of 2,9 million tons (in 2021).
The new facility is expected to increase the company's refining capacity by around £300m a year, with potential for further expansion in the future.
SWEDEN TO MAKE POTATO ICE CREAM
Veg of Lund has received a patent from the Swedish Intellectual Property Office for a vegan ice cream that uses potatoes, rapeseed oil and vegetable protein in a frozen emulsion. This is reported by Potatoes.news. Ice cream has a creamy texture and a pleasant taste.
Recall that in 2021, Veg of Lund launched the world's first potato milk under the Dug brand. According to the developers, this product is more environmentally friendly than any other type of plant-based milk. The composition of the drink, in addition to potatoes, includes pea protein, maltodextrin, chicory fiber, rapeseed oil and natural flavors. It is also enriched with vitamins D, B12 and folic acid.
IN AUSTRIA TO EXPAND THE PRODUCTION OF TECHNICAL STARCHES
According to PotatoPro.com, the AGRANA group of companies is expanding its industrial starches production capacity and is investing 23 million euros in a plant located in Gmünde.
The AGRANA Group, which specializes in the production of semi-finished fruit, starch and sugar, is about to build an additional tumble dryer at its potato starch plant in Gmünde (Waldviertel, Lower Austria).
AGRANA aims to increase the production of special technical starches for the construction industry. The work will last until July 2025. It is expected that the capacity for the production of industrial starches will increase by a third.
Norbert Harringer, CTO of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG, notes: “Due to legal requirements, technical industries are increasingly relying on organic materials and are therefore choosing starches as a sustainable alternative to oil-based products. The expansion of our facility is a response to this growing demand and guarantees the competitiveness of the Gmünde plant.”
In Europe, the AGRANA group of companies is the market leader in both technical and organic starches.
RUSSET BURBANK POTATO IS THREATERED TO WARMING
According to SEEDS, farmers in the US state of Idaho are worried that the famous Russet Burbank potato variety (one of the most popular for making french fries and chips) may disappear due to global warming.
Farmers say Russet Burbank's crops have been steadily declining due to less mountain snow previously used for irrigation. At the same time, the potatoes became smaller, and the starch content in the tubers decreased.
In the course of the study, it was found that since the middle of the last century, the amount of snow in the mountains has decreased by 15-30%.
At the moment, breeders are trying to develop hybrids that will retain the advantages of Russet Burbank, but will be more resistant to current climate changes.
DOVECO SON LA FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROCESSING CENTER STARTED IN VIETNAM
Information about the grand opening of the Center was published by the Chinhphu.vn portal.
The center is a complex of modern plants for the processing of agricultural products, built on an area of almost 9 hectares, with a total equipment capacity of 52 thousand tons of products per year.
The primary task of Doveco Son La is the processing of local fruits and vegetables. Mango, corn, longan, spinach, vegetable soybeans, etc. will be used as raw materials.
The next step after the opening of the Fruit and Vegetable Processing Center, according to the leaders of the organization, will be the creation of a raw material site of tens of thousands of hectares, on which crops will be grown using modern technologies, which will ensure high production efficiency and contribute to changing the face of the agricultural sector of Son La province. .
The center will also create jobs for tens of thousands of workers in the areas of agricultural production, industry, service, marketing and transport.
When operating at full capacity, Doveco Son La is expected to generate $1800 billion to $2000 billion in revenue. The products of the Center will be supplied not only to the domestic market, but also abroad.