News On French Fries and Potato Specialties from Northern America

McDonald’s restaurants in Ontario gave away more than half a million orders of free french fries during the Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA playoffs run, the company said Monday, after tallying the final numbers for its runaway promotion.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LW) joined with community and civic leaders on June 13 to celebrate the completed expansion of its operations in Hermiston, Oregon.

NewCold, a specialist in automated cold storage, announced the opening of its $90 million, 180,000-square-foot facility in Burley, Idaho. French fry maker McCain Foods is NewCold’s largest Idaho customer.

Monday, McCain Foods USA, a leading supplier of frozen potato products, celebrated the grand opening of its expanded facilities in Burley, Idaho with over 150 attendees including elected officials and grower partners.

United States potato exports of frozen, dehy and fresh have all posted modest gains through the first three quarters of the July 2018 – June 2019 marketing year.

Today, McCain Foods USA Inc., a division of McCain Foods Limited, the world’s largest producer of frozen french fries, announced a $300 million investment in its Othello, Washington potato processing plant.

On April 16, 2019, McCain Foods (Canada) celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Portage la Prairie, Manitoba facility and also officially opened its new potato receiving area at a special ceremony hosted onsite at the potato processing facility.

Manitoba’s potato sector is gearing up to supply an expanding industry but seed supplies will be tight after a tough harvest last season. A number of producers are planning capital upgrades to keep up with the rise in demand.

Spring is just now beginning to shine in much of eastern Oregon and Washington. A winter of record snowfall left the ground frozen or flooded much later than normal. As a result, farmers are getting a late start on their crops.

Penobscot McCrum is planning to build a new potato processing plant at the site of a long-closed potato factory in Washburn, Maine.

According to reporting by CNBC, Kraft Heinz is considering the sale of its Ore-Ida potato brand in order to pay down its debt

North American potato processors either have or will be bringing at least 1.3 billion pounds of new processing capacity online between October 2018 and December 2019. In Potato Country, Bruce Huffaker of NAPMN discusses the impact.

Cavendish Farms is working to develop potato varieties that can thrive in dry growing conditions on Prince Edward Island, says the company’s president Robert Irving.

A recent research report, the Power of Frozen by the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and Food Marketing Institute (FMI) examines drivers for growth in retail frozen foods.

The build-up of snow and ice on the roof at Simplot's potato processing facility just west of Portage la Prairie in Manitoba, Canada has led to a shutdown.

European Frozen Finger Food manufacturer Frostkrone Group announced earlier this month it had completed the acquisition of the Idaho based company Rite Stuff Foods Inc., a manufacturer specialised in the production of potato snacks.

McCain Foods USA is looking to buy a property for a 100,000 square feet facility in Caldwell, Idaho, for what we assume would be production plant for frozen french fries.

Prince Edward Island French Fry Manufacturer Cavendish Farms is importing a larger than usual amount of potatoes from other parts of Canada and the United States to make up for a local shortfall in supply.