The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Potato Council is to stage the eighth World Potato Congress next May in Scotland.
Appointed by World Potato Congress Inc (WPC) to stage the event in the UK in what is being described as one of the world’s most vibrant potato research, breeding, growing and commercial environments, Potato Council aims to bring the world’s best potato heads together to develop further an industry already in ascendancy both at home and abroad.
The event is only held once every three years and was last staged in New Zealand in 2009.
Allan Stevenson, chairman of Potato Council and a substantial potato grower in Scotland in his own right, sees nothing but benefits for British growers and purchasers in the congress coming to the UK. “WPC 2012, taking place in Edinburgh, May 27-30, will be a global knowledge exchange enabling those with technical or commercial interests to meet others from around the world to improve their potato enterprise performance,” he said. “The potato is an extremely important crop domestically and in other regions of the world and has an important part to play in nutrition and in food security.”
The UK government’s chief scientific adviser, Prof Sir John Beddington, has agreed to speak at WPC 2012 and Bayer Crop Science has agreed to become the Diamond sponsor of the event.
Online registration for delegates and partners to attend WPC 2012 is open at www.wpc2012.net. Delegate registration is £487.50 plus VAT when applicable. Partner fees range from £286, including VAT, with what the organisers claim are very reasonable charges for social activities ranging from a golf tournament at Archerfield Links, to a whisky distillery visit and a banquet in the state dining room on Royal Yacht Britannia.
