from Canada

The potato crop in Canada is in varying stages - from emergence to touching between rows. Potato growers everywhere are optimistic for the good growing conditions needed to move this crop in its early life stages.

As of June 1, 2023, total Canadian Potato Storage Holdings are reported to be down 3.3% over 2022 numbers for the same period, and higher than the 3-yr. average.

Authorization from the PMRA, following a thorough review of the company’s extensive data dossier, indicates a mutual understanding of the composition, potential and low risk of the RNAi technology.

Steve Watts from Genesis Crop Systems Inc. along with six farmers participated in the Living Labs Atlantic project to test out a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer, also called enhanced efficiency nitrogen.

In a critical move towards advancing precision agriculture, AgTech startup Picketa Systems has successfully closed a CAD 1.445M (USD 1.059M) (Seed investment round. The funding will broaden the development and deployment of their real-time plant tissue analysis technology, called LENS™.

New numbers from the P.E.I. Potato Board show that on Prince Edward Island the acreage of cover crops grown before potatoes has doubled.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists have discovered that selenium, a micronutrient and anti-oxidant activates genes in potatoes that boosts the plant's immunity and helps in the prevention of late blight.

Statistics Canada has estimated Canadian Potato Production in 2022 to be 122,970,000 hundred weight, up 0.8% over 2021. Despite a very cold and wet spring delaying planting and very hot

Renaissance BioScience Corp., a leader in bioengineering for the global agriculture and food industries, has retained the services of S. Brad Griffith to assist Renaissance in commercializing its RNA production

Alyre Poitras is a McCain Foods potato grower in Saint-André, New Brunswick, Canada. He shares his experience with regenerative agriculture and the changes in potato cultivation over time

Ag start-up Picketa Systems announces the release of their Leaf Evaluated-Nutrient System, LENS™. The LENS™ fertilizer management tool offers real time insight in 13 nutrients in potato plants.

Potato Processor McCain Foods (Canada) teams up with agricultural lender Farm Credit Canada (fcc) to support potato farmers financially when they investment in regenerative agriculture.

In Canada, the potato harvest is in the final stages across the country. Most provinces have enjoyed excellent harvest conditions without the high temperatures experienced in early September nor the wet conditions of early spring.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) potato farmers say they are concerned excessive moisture in the fields caused by the storm Fiona may lead their produce to rot in storage - though they hope that is not the case.

McDonald's Canada and McCain Foods Limited announce the 'Future of Potato Farming Fund' by investing CAD 1million in education, demonstration, and cost-sharing grants to support potato farmers

Earlier this month Statistics Canada released their first estimate of potato acreage in Canada as a result of data obtained from their survey of potato growers in Canada. The 2022 potato acreage is estimated at 385,128 acres.

Time is paramount when testing potato crops before spraying and fertilizer applications, which is what Picketa’s new product is all about. For their final engineering project, four University of New Brunswick students decided to help potato growers.

Manitoba's potato farmers are getting close to wrapping up planting. Vikram Bisht, Industry Development Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, estimates seeding progress at about 80 to 85 percent complete.