News on The Potato Supply Chain from Canada

October 03, 2010

Late seeded Manitoba potatoes face quality issues

Manitoba potato producers have experienced a wide range of growing conditions all year, and now are experiencing a wide range of quality for their crop.

September 25, 2010

New Brunswick Potato Crop Development September 2010

The following update on the New Brunswick potato crop was provided by Agriculture and Aquaculture New Brunswick on September 20:

September 16, 2010

Pressure on Canadian government for limits on salt in food

Canada's provincial health ministers are ordering up mandatory sodium limits for packaged and prepared foods if voluntary measures don't shake out as hoped -- and are urging Ottawa to adopt the new targets.

September 07, 2010

Heat wave takes toll on New Brunswick potato crop

After what was an almost perfect beginning to the growing season, the recent spell of prolonged high temperatures and dry conditions have been an obstacle for potato growers.

September 06, 2010

Cavendish Farms buys breeding rights 'Prospect', an eco-friendly potato variety

Cavendish Farms has purchased the breeding rights for "Prospect", a potato variety it says is suitable for French fries and good for the environment.It's the first time the Prince Edward Island company has bought the rights to an entire vari...

August 26, 2010

Gorman controls receives government support for storage monitoring project

Gorman Controls Inc., a Prince Edward Island based company, received support from the Rural Broadband Fund for a project to develop a storage controller.

August 25, 2010

New Brunswick potato growers receive assistance for storage losses

New Brunswick potato growers will receive up to $3 million to help offset the extra costs of cleaning and disinfection of storage facilities and disposing of ruined product following a difficult growing season in 2009. The announcement was made today ...

August 19, 2010

PEI Potato board welcomes decision Tribunal in potato contracts appeal

In a dispute around the process for the establishment of potato contracts between potato growers and processors, a decision has been reached by the Natural Products Appeals Tribunal. The decision provides a unique insight in the negotiation process o...

August 18, 2010

Manitoba started processing new crop potatoes

In Manitoba, harvest of processing potatoes is underway.

August 10, 2010

No change in PEI Potato board rules for negotiating contracts

A tribunal ruling allowing the P.E.I. Potato Board to set the rules for negotiating contracts between potato processors and farmers is a victory for growers, says the board.   The rules were designed to put in place a process that would ensure a c...

July 27, 2010

P.E.I. Potato Board courts Algerian industry leaders

The P.E.I. Potato Board is wooing an old friend in an effort to create new business opportunities for Island farmers.The board is hosting a delegation of industry leaders from Algeria.The Algerian delegation is in the province now. They are planning to...

July 17, 2010

PEI Potato Contract hearing wrapped up

A hearing over how Cavendish Farms negotiates potato contracts with P.E.I. growers wrapped up Thursday.Cavendish Farms, an Irving-owned company, appealed a decision by the P.E.I. Potato Board.The board had approved an order in December that required pr...

July 15, 2010

PEI Potato Crop ahead of schedule

Good growing conditions this spring and summer have put the P.E.I. potato crop more than a week ahead of schedule. Potato Board chair Boyde Rose said there was some damage from heavy rain a few weeks ago, affecting one to two per cent of the crop, bu...

July 12, 2010

Evolución del brote de tizón tardío en Canadá

Los productores de papa de la Provincia de Manitoba están considerando cambiar a un ciclo más corto de pulverización de fungicidas si el tizón tardío continúa apareciendo en los campos de cultivo de la región. Vikram Bisht, patólogo vegetal de la Inic...

July 12, 2010

Late blight developments Canada

Manitoba Potato growers may consider switching to a shorter fungicide spray cycle as late blight continues to show up in fields throughout the potato growing regions of the province.Vikram Bisht, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Ru...

June 18, 2010

Technomic: Canadian restaurant chains grew in spite of sluggish economy

The Top 200 Canadian restaurant chains managed to grow sales by 1.0 percent and increase overall units by a slightly higher 1.3 percent last year, even as the economy just started easing out of the recession. With total sales of C$23.9 billion, the Top...

June 16, 2010

NAPMN predicts 4.1% reduction of potato acreage in Canada in 2010

Bruce Huffaker, editor of North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) forecasts the total area planted to potatoes in Canada to be 356,000 acres - 15,100 fewer acres than planted in 2009, a 4.1% reduction.

June 15, 2010

Late blight threatens Manitoba potato crop

A fungus that could seriously damage Manitoba's multimillion-dollar commercial potato industry has been spotted at commercial nurseries, Manitoba Agriculture says. The provincial agency has issued a warning to residential gardeners after "late b...