Potato News from Prince Edward Island

Linkletter Farms is finally back up and running after two months of being at the centre of a large-scale food tampering incident that reached across Atlantic Canada.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has elected a new executive during its December 10th Board of Directors meeting. Alex Docherty of Elmwood was elected the new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Gary Linkletter, who completed four years as Chairman.

The reward being offered for information leading to the arrest of anyone who put sewing needles in Prince Edward Island potatoes has doubled to CAD 100.000

Prince Edward Island potato production has grown by almost five per cent this year following a good growing year and successful harvest.

The Prince Edward Island potato industry is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for recent tampering incidents involving sewing needles being embedded in fresh potatoes.

It began as a trickle — people with their arms filled with personal items, leaving the McCain Foods processing plant in Borden-Carleton for the last time Wednesday — and soon it turned into a mass exodus.

Prince Edward Island Potatoes was delighted to have Col. Chris Hadfield, former Commander of the International Space Station helping to dig potatoes on Halloween morning against the backdrop of a clear blue sky and the beautiful West River.

The market for Prince Edward Island potatoes is holding strong despite the recent reports from six Atlantic Canadian locations of needles found in potato shipments from an Island grower.

Following the discovery of potato wart on Prince Edward Island (PEI) in August the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notified the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of temporary mitigation efforts by CFIA.

Another potato has been found with a sewing needle inside, the Prince Edward Island RCMP announced yesterday. This is the seventh sewing needle discovered in a potato.

RCMP says metal objects were intentionally placed. Police believe all affected fries at Cavendish Farms did not leave facility.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is advising consumers of a possible food tampering situation involving potatoes harvested and packed by Linkletter Farms Ltd. of Summerside, PEI.

Through a partnership with Cavendish Farms, the Province of Prince Edward Island is purchasing 96 acres of agricultural land in the Barclay Brook area to help protect Island rivers and fish habitat.

Farmers who grow potatoes for McCain are wondering where their crop will go after the McCain plant on P.E.I. shuts down.

The President of the World Potato Congress (WPC) Mr David Thompson and the Chairman of the WPC Industry Awards Committee, Mr Douglas (Doug) Harley, have announced that nominations are now being called for the 2015 World Potato Congress Industry Awards.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board, on behalf of all Island potato growers, is proud to be rooted in our community through support of a number of exciting events this September and October.

The number of cases of a late blight (Phytophthora infestans) continues to grow on Prince Edward Island.

The red fields of Prince Edward Island are renowned for growing potatoes. Fred Dollar’s decision to grow organic potatoes is built on that reputation.