World Potato Congress 2018, the largest event for the potato industry worldwide, will be held in South-Andean city of Cusco (Peru) bringing together the sector's most respected representatives, researchers and trade leaders.
A series of strategic actions have been taken over the past 15 years to boost the potato industry, on which over 730,000 families depend, meaning 11% (3.65 million people) of the total population.
Those actions have brought about a significant dynamism that translates into the tuber's enhancement, the development of potato-based products and the political decision towards positioning the sector, such as the
National Potato Day celebration.
Slated for May 31, the official launch will take place at CIP headquarters and see the presence of leading authorities from the Ministries of Agriculture-Irrigation (Minagri) and Foreign Trade-Tourism (Mincetur).
The ceremony will also feature officials from the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation and the National Agrarian University of La Molina, along with representatives from FAO-Peru and the International Potato Center (CIP).
The non-profit World Potato Congress (WPC) Inc., organizer of the event, entered an agreement with the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA).
The accord grants INIA exclusive right to hold World Potato Congress in Cusco next year, under WPC's direction, and to represent it at any official World Potato Congress.
The 2018 congress will be held in tandem with the 28th Congress of the Latin America Potato Association (ALAP).
ALAP holds technical meetings and updates every two years in different countries, bringing researchers and entrepreneurs together.
(END) NDP/RFA/MAO/RMB
Published: 5/30/2017