Potato News from Canada

Diploid potatoes are quickly becoming the stud spuds for breeding new commercial potato varieties. Wild diploid potatoes have 2 copies of each chromosome in their DNA, unlike more traditional tetraploid potatoes, like Russet Burbank, which have 4 copies of each chromosome.

Agriculture is growing in Canada’s North with new collaborations and technologies. AAFC scientist Dr. Julia Wheeler led research on season extension for potatoes and green beans in northern communities. The study focused on soil health, pest management, and improving food security.

Naturally Homegrown Foods in Surrey, British Columbia, produces Hardbite — a potato chip brand that’s been surging in popularity.

Egypt continues to increase its potato exports to Greece, reports EastFruit. In the MY 2023/24, over 156,000 tons of ware potatoes were imported into Greece from Egypt, valued at USD 64 million. This represents a 12% increase from the previous season and a 71% increase from the 2021/22 season, marking an all-time high.

McCain Foods, the maker of 1 in 4 fries worldwide, is making big strides towards its regenerative agriculture commitment, digging in with the aim to help combat climate change over time and secure the future of everyone’s favorite food, the golden French fry.

Urschel has expanded its global footprint with the opening of Urschel Canada in Vaughan, Ontario, reinforcing its commitment to providing cutting-edge food cutting solutions and enhanced customer support across the region.

With the release of the global 2024 Sustainability Report, McCain Foods continues to make progress towards its goal to provide products that are more sustainably sourced – delivering good food to consumers, while supporting the communities where it operates.

Two local farms are joining forces for another Fill Your Boots Event, allowing Islanders to pick their own free potatoes straight from Island potato storages. The giveaway aims to build on the success of the Fill Your Boots events of the last three years.

The Sinaloa state in Mexico is preparing for a historic potato harvest in 2025, with a planted area exceeding 17 thousand hectares, a notable increase compared to previous years with an estimated production of over 500 thousand tons.

The Little Potato Company, the number one Little potato company in North America, is introducing two extensions to its popular Microwave Ready and Oven or Grill Ready product lines: A Little Hot Honey Microwave Ready Kit and A Little Garlic & Parmesan Oven or Grill Ready Kit.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is closely monitoring the evolving situation regarding the 25% tariff imposed on Canada by U.S. President Donald Trump, which will undoubtedly have an impact on potato exports from Prince Edward Island.

USA retail sales of potatoes remained strong from January–December 2024, as volume sales increased 3.1%, and dollar sales rose 0.7% to $18.2 billion. All categories of potatoes increased in volume sales.

MacEwan University welcomes Angela Santiago, co-founder and CEO of The Little Potato Company Ltd., as the university's 38th Allard Chair in Business.

Lamb Weston is now offering its US foodservice customers the option to get their frozen French fries in a recyclable paper bag. The new package is the result of several years’ work by its packaging engineers to develop a format with a more sustainable end-of-life solution than exists for the company’s polyethylene bags.

The World Potato Congress has presented the upcoming webinar: Implementation of an Early Warning System for Sustainable Preventative Management of Potato Late Blight.

The 2024 PEI Potato Industry Awards Banquet was held Friday, November 22 in Charlottetown and two very deserving members of the potato industry were recognized at the event.

Los productores de papa de la Isla del Príncipe Eduardo temen que el arancel del 25% propuesto por Trump afecte gravemente sus exportaciones a EE. UU.

Attention all french fry lovers – you're going to want to pay attention to this one! McCain is introducing a new product to its Superfries portfolio – McCain Jumbo Crinkle Fries.