IRELAND WILL host the World Potato Congress for the first time ever later this month.
Now in its 11th year, the congress gathers potato professionals from all over the world to share ideas and knowledge of production and to promote the potato from 30 May to 2 June.
The 2022 theme is 'The Changing World of the Potato' and will see 60 speakers and over 1,000 delegates from around the world attend presentations and discussions in the RDS on issues affecting potatoes and their global use.
Founded in 1973, the Irish Potato Federation (which is hosting the congress) was originally set up to promote the interests of the wholesale potato trade in Ireland and to promote potato consumption. Today it consists of ten members, comprising potato growers, wholesalers, packers, importers and exporters of both seed and ware potatoes.
The Federation has been an active member of Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, for over forty years and is recognised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and An Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board) as the official negotiating body on behalf of the wholesale potato trade in Ireland.
Those in attendance at the congress will include Dr QU Dongyu, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Tara McCarthy, Chief Executive of Bord Bia, and Chris Koch, a renowned motivational speaker from Canada.
During the congress, delegates will get to visit a number of potato farms and the congress will end at an event at Bord Bia's Bloom Festival.
The event was originally planned for 2021, but was postponed due to the Code-19 pandemic and restrictions.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalaogue today tweeted to say he was "really looking forward" to the event later this month.
"Seeing leaders in the global potato sector come here is a testimony to our industry. Central to the success of our sectors has been our commitment to quality and excellence."
Really looking forward to opening the #WPC2022Ireland later this month with great speakers including @jwojc
Seeing leaders in the global potato sector come here is a testimony to our industry. Central to the success of our sector has been our commitment to quality and excellence pic.twitter.com/AVIbQIlgLV— Charlie McConalogue (@McConalogue) May 16, 2022
