Statistics Canada has estimated Canadian Potato Production in 2019 to be up 2.4% or 2,472,000 hundred weight above the 5-yr average in Canada. With demand growing for potato products, growers in the spring of 2019 planted an additional 3.7% or 13,000 acres to meet these expansion requirements. Unfortunately, poor harvest conditions, particularly in Western Canada, have resulted in 20,296 acres being abandoned in farmers fields. This is after, what was considered a…
Many areas of the United States were affected by adverse harvesting conditions this year. The total US Potato Crop is estimated to be down 27,569,000 hundred weight below the 2018 crop (although fewer reporting states in 2019). A more objective comparison for Canadian producers is the total fall crop which compares to most of the potato crop grown in Canada. USDA estimates the fall potato crop to be down 12,401,000 cwt. or…
McCain Foods (Canada) announced it will invest $80 million towards the creation of a new Formed Potato Specialty production line at its existing Grand Falls, N.B., facility. The production expansion and creation of the new highspeed Formed Potato Specialty line enables McCain to meet the growing customer demand for the fast-growing market segment and also further strengthens the company’s potato processing presence both in Canada and North America. An estimated 80 new full-time jobs will be added…
Fall 2019 MANITOBA Dan Sawatzky, General Manager, Keystone Potato Producers Association MANITOBA Dan Sawatzky, General Manager, Keystone Potato Producers Association As I write this article in mid-September, the storage potato harvest is finally fully underway. Rain that was in short supply over the summer came in the early part of the month, limiting harvest progress. Processors managed their supply through rain stock, asking growers with direct contracts to lay their product in…
World Potato Congress president, Romain Cools, is pleased to announce Greg Donald has joined its board of directors. Greg Donald has been the general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board since 2009. The P.E.I. Potato Board represents P.E.I. potato producers working together to ensure long-term profitability and sustainability through marketing, advocating, negotiation and activities that support quality potato production. Donald has a BSc in agriculture with a major in plant protection from Dalhousie…
Ontario potato farmers Ken and Liz Beattie got into the craft distillery business back in 2016, using surplus, non-saleable spuds otherwise destined for cattle feed to make potato vodka. Their fledgling company called Beattie’s Distillers has certainly come a long way since then. Proof of that came at the 2018 World Beverage Competition,a major event for the beer, wine and spirits industries. At that event—the first international competition for the Beatties —…
Cavendish Farms’ newest plant is officially open for business. The announcement was made at a ceremony held Oct. 3 at the new Lethbridge frozen potato processing facility. Cavendish Farms President Robert K. Irving was joined by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman and other dignitaries to celebrate the largest private sector investment in the history of the City of Lethbridge. “It is a great day for Lethbridge and for our…
Many potato growers across the country had to deal with some serious weather challenges in 2019. In August, severe hailstorms caused widespread crop damage in southern Alberta, while in September, Hurricane Dorian delivered torrential rain and gale-force winds to Prince Edward Island. Those areas — as well as most of the other potato-producing regions in Canada — experienced a cool, wet spring, which delayed planting by up to two weeks. This was…
The United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC) has released its most recent Canadian Potato Crop Report. Prince Edward Island The weather was dry and hot well into the summer this year until the province finally got rain in the last week of August. In contrast to last year, the western part of P.E.I. has had good moisture all along. The Summerside area had 90 mm of rain a week ago, and then…
With increased input costs and skyrocketing land prices, profit margins are shrinking — it’s never been more important to have a good handle on what’s happening in your fields. Data generated from yield maps provide insight on how to manage your crop to improve your profit margin, your yield, or both. Whether this is your first season or your fifth using a potato yield monitor, our guest speakers will make sure you’re…