b'Theyre seeking and trying out new things. New chipping varieties, or different types of yellow flesh or colour fresh varieties, things like creamers or fingerlings, and really those innovations are coming from places like Europe, Parker says.One European potato breeder taking advantage of this is Dutch company HZPC. The company has been breeding potatoes for more than a century and after PBR came into effect in Canada, they decided to set up shop in the country opening a breeding facility in Charlottetown, P.E.I. in the early 2000s. The North American market was becoming more and more receptive to new varieties. It wasnt just the Russet Burbanks of the world, we started seeing some of the coloured potatoes, so that the red skin, white flesh; yellow skin, yellow flesh potatoes start coming to be, and really, thats our wheelhouse, Aron Derbidge, sales and key account manager with HZPC Canada, explains in a phone interview.At the start, HZPC was importing varieties bred in the Netherlands for Dutch conditions, but after establishing their presence in Canada they were able to start working with the companys breeders to develop potatoes for the Canadian market. HZPC has a tissue culture laboratory and research and development greenhouse in P.E.I. While there are other European potato breeders importing Gaia Consultings Debbie Jones holds a tray of seedlings which we will varieties into Canada, HZPC is the only one with breedingbe planted in fields during the growing season. operations in the country. PHOTO: GAIA CONSULTING14SPUDSMART.COM Summer 2022'