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.