News on The Potato Supply Chain from Canada

September 03, 2011

Manitoba Potato producers face challenges

Manitoba potato growers have had a tough go this season, but are pulling through. The threat of late blight and irrigation issues have taken their toll on potato growers, but the direct delivery season is getting underway. Some farmers were forced to...

August 31, 2011

Pest Pros to test STORECAST potato storage disease prediction system in Canada

A recent agreement between Pest Pros Inc and Soil Food Web Atlantic Canada will test the use of STORECAST, “Storage Potato Disease Risk Indexing” in Prince Edward Island (PEI) Canada this storage season. Mr. Daryl Lingley of Soil Food Web Atlantic C...

HZPC Americas Corporation builds new potato lab on PEI

August 30, 2011

HZPC Americas builds a new potato lab on Prince Edward Island

HZPC Americas Corporation - a leading company specializing in new potato variety development and potato seed production - is setting up a research and development facility on the BioCommons Research Park, says Prince Edward Island Agriculture Minister ...

August 25, 2011

Potato rot nematode investigation to include Prince Edward Island

An investigation into how a small Ottawa garlic farm became infested with a pest called potato rot nematode will include Prince Edward Island even though it's highly unlikely it came from there. P.E.I. is the only province in Canada where the pest has...

August 18, 2011

Potato Rot Nematode Confirmed in Ontario

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed a detection of potato rot nematode (Ditylenchus destructor) in garlic from a two-acre farm field in the Ottawa region of Ontario. Potato rot nematode (PRN) is a regulated quarantine pest in Cana...

August 16, 2011

Late Blight threatens potato crops in New Brunswick

Late blight has been identified in eight parishes across the Canadian province New Brunswick, threatening the crops of potato farmers. Scientists are urging potato farmers who have the fungus in their fields to treat it quickly and aggressively. &quo...

August 15, 2011

Targeting Late Blight in Canada

This year’s weather conditions in potato-growing regions of Canada are very conducive to an onslaught of late blight, which is caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, and is considered one of the most devastating diseases of potato- and tomato-g...

August 10, 2011

Nominations open for 2012 World Potato Congress Awards

The President of the World Potato Congress (WPC) Inc. Mr Allan Parker, Canada, and the Chairman of the WPC Awards Committee, Mr Douglas (Doug) Harley, Kinross, Scotland, have announced that nominations are now being called for the 2012 World Potato Con...

August 10, 2011

Late blight confirmed in 21 cases on Prince Edward Island

There are now 21 confirmed cases of late blight on Preince Edward Island, including a first-time-ever case confirmed of blight in a rogue potato plant in a soy bean field. The majority of cases are in potato fields in the western part of the province....

August 10, 2011

PEI Potato Board initiates consumer study

In an effort to better understand today’s potato consumer, the Prince Edward Island Potato Board has embarked upon a market study through an online survey. The Potato Board has been working on an in-depth consumer and branding study with Ipsos-Reid re...

Wireworm (left) are the larval stages of the click beetle (right). Courtesy Agriculture Canada)

August 08, 2011

Canadian Potato farmers losing wireworm weapon

Some Prince Edward Island potato farmers are facing a serious infestation of wireworm and the only fix is about to be taken off the market. Wireworm is a pest that spends four years in the ground, feeding on potatoes and other vegetables. Then it turn...

July 21, 2011

Drought worries for Ontario Farmers

Weeks without rain combined with recent extreme heat have taken a toll on crops in the Grand River area (Ontario) and some will be in danger, said Sandra Vos, president of the Brant County Federation of Agriculture. "A lot of us are quite worried...

July 20, 2011

El Congreso Mundial de la Papa apoya económicamente la participación de delegados provenientes de países en desarrollo

Allan Parker, presidente del Congreso Mundial de la Papa, a realizarse en Edimburgo, Escocia, entre el 27-30 mayo de 2012, anunció hoy la intención de apoyar económicamente hasta cuatro delegados al evento. La organización proveerá 1,000.00 dólares ca...

July 20, 2011

World Potato Congress offers support to Delegates from Developing Countries

Delegates to the 8th World Potato Congress, from developing and transitional countries, may qualify for financial support from World Potato Congress Inc. (WPC Inc). Allan Parker, President of WPC Inc, said today he is extremely pleased to announce WP...

July 19, 2011

New potato washing and packaging plant for Earthfresh Foods Inc.

Toronto-based EarthFresh Foods Inc. announced Wednesday plans to spend $5.5 million on a new potato washing and packaging plant. The project will see 80 current jobs moved with another 20 to be added as production hits full stride. The Ontario governm...

July 18, 2011

Creditor protection extended for Tepper farm

The family of New Brunswick farmer Henk Tepper, who is languishing in a Lebanese jail, won a short reprieve for the family farm in an Edmundston courtroom Monday. A judge of the Court of Queen's Bench granted an extension to creditor protection until ...

July 18, 2011

High Water Levels, Heat Trouble Potato Growers in Manitoba

The combination of high temperatures and high water levels is causing concern for potato growers. "Farmers are right now moving into irrigation mode,"explains Brian Wilson, potato specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. "With the hot weat...

July 06, 2011

Canadian potato industry responds to study depicting potatoes as unhealthy

The Canadian Potato Council (CPC) is challenging the conclusions of a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on potatoes and potato consumption, which wrongly depicts potatoes as a hindrance to weight loss and maintaining a healt...