World Potato Congress

8th World Potato Congress in Scotland

Syngenta attends World Potato Congress 

At the end of May, Syngenta SA sent a team of delegates to attend the 8th World Potato Congress, held in Edinburgh, Scotland. The delegation comprised of some of our loyal PotatoPack™ Growers as well as Les Bothma, Potato Crop Specialist from Yield WTP. 

The two-day conference was held at the Edinburgh International Convention Centre, famous for its innovative revolving auditoria. Co-sponsored by Syngenta, the conference was particularly well structured, as each day consisted of several concurrent sessions and workshops during which various lecture options were made available. This meant a ‘tailored’ learning experience for each attendee. Congress topics proved fascinating, and included a discussion on the alarming increase in obesity worldwide, and how the humble potato could be part of the solution. Another hot topic was the issue of feeding an ever-expanding population with limited resources. 
The conference concluded with a Gala Supper held at the prestigious Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland. The Scottish cuisine and cultural setting made this an unforgettable evening. Wednesday saw the team visiting potato farms close to Edinburgh, followed by a visit to Syngenta’s Jealott’s Hill, one of our International Research Centres, on Thursday. Founded in 1927, this facility employs nearly 800 scientists and support staff, and prides itself in a tradition of innovation in agriculture. 

The team bade the U.K. ‘goodbye’ after watching the spectacular West End production of the musical, ‘Jersey Boys’. An entertaining and educational time was had by all.