The Ontario Potato Board and Potatoes New Brunswick have voted to rejoin the United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC), a March 10 news release said. With the associations back as members it makes UPGC a coast-to-coast organization once again.
“It has been a number of years since the Ontario Potato Board has been a member of UPGC, but we are excited to be back. The United Potato Growers of Canada have turned a corner as an organization and are moving in the right direction in our opinion, we are looking forward to being a part of the positive changes to come,” Kevin Brubacher, general manager of the Ontario Potato Board, said in the release.
The Ontario Potato Board board of directors voted to rejoin UPGC as the representative for their potato grower members in the province of Ontario, effectively immediately as of the Ontario Potato Conference at the start of March.
In February at the New Brunswick Potatoes Trade Show and Conference, their board of directors announced the organization had voted in favour of re-joining UPGC as full members. The release noted this came following recent presentations by UPGC General Manager Victoria Stamper to both the board of directors and the Shippers Association.
“UPGC has a proven track record of providing valuable market information and advocating for fair pricing for potato growers across the country. By working together with UPGC, we can help ensure that our growers receive a fair return for their hard work and investment, and that the Canadian potato industry remains strong and vibrant,” Matt Hemphill, executive director of Potatoes New Brunswick, said in the release.
Last fall the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association (SSPGA) led by President Matthew Lawless were the first non-member province to re-join UPGC as a representative of their member seed potato growers in Saskatchewan, the release said.
“The SSPGA sees growth potential in the potato industry in Saskatchewan particularly in seed so being involved in national organizations is important,” Lawless said in the release. “The new GM of UPGC is bringing a fresh viewpoint to the mandate of the organization and the SSPGA felt it was a good time to re-join.”
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