Factors that affect to the value of stored potatoes with EU Protected Geogrphical Indication “Patata de Galicia”

Ano: 2009 | Volume: 1 | Número: 0

Autores: Gómez, J., Gómez, M., Ordóñez, L

Palavras-chave: Potato, Kennebec, storage, sprouting, EU PGI

Resumo Inglês:

This paper studied the effects of the storage system, year, area of origin and farmer on produce storage losses of Galician potato with EU Protected Geographical Indication. The potatoes were stored from October to May without using sprouting inhibitors. The main types of loss were identified and the value of the stored produce was calculated monthly in three storage systems: refrigerated, ventilated and traditional. The storage system presented the clearest effect on losses, which were also affected by the grower, year of harvest / storage, and to a lesser extent by the area of origin. Apart from the cold storage, sprouting was the main cause of product loss, which impeded long term storage without applying sprouting inhibitors. Losses were found to be considerable in the traditional storage, causing the stored product value to drop continuously. The value remained mostly stable in the ventilated storage. It grew continuously in the refrigerated storage, reaching a maximum in May, due to an increase of the potatoes’ price in the regional markets.