The PEI Potato Board is continuing its work in advancing export market potential, specifically in the Philippines, where a collaborative partnership forged in 2019 is taking root and yielding promising results.
The program initially involved PEI Potato Board staff and a local agronomist working alongside Filipino farmers to share knowledge on successful farming practices, says Krista Shaw, Director of Stakeholder Relations for PEI Potatoes.
“A group from the Philippines visited P.E.I. to observe harvest practices and see the various varieties of potatoes grown here,” she says. “Unlike in Canada, there was no certified seed program there and when they better understood the role of good quality seed in crop yield, an opportunity presented itself to ship some P.E.I. seed to the Philippines.”
The chosen variety was Granola, a potato known for its ability to thrive in tropical climates and avoid common viruses. Granola typically provides good sized potatoes in significant volume and has been a staple over the last number of years.
In 2020, just prior to the COVID pandemic, a number of seed lots were sent to the Philippines to complete variety trials in the hopes of expanding their variety offerings. But travel restrictions put a return visit from the P.E.I. team on hold, and due to import requirements, seed hasn’t been shipped since.
Fast forward to early 2024, when a Canadian Trade Commissioner in Manila rejuvenated the partnership by expressing interest in acquiring seed.
This rekindled relationship led to a visit from a 15-member delegation, including farmers, government officials, and representatives from Universal Robina Corporation (URC). Their visit to P.E.I. in June included business meetings, educational sessions, and farm tours, where they witnessed firsthand the potential behind P.E.I. potatoes.
“This engagement not only highlights the importance of our seed but also fosters a deeper understanding of the mutual benefits available through collaboration,” Shaw says.
“Our relationship with Filipino farmers is rooted in shared goals for agricultural advancement.”
In November 2024, a delegation of growers, exporters, and PEI Potato Board staff were selected as participants in the Team Canada Trade Mission to Indonesia and the Philippines. Accompanied by the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada, Mary Ng, the trip was filled with industry related tours, business meetings, and economic and business overviews of each respective country.
Following the mission, Shaw, along with PEI Potato Board General Manager Greg Donald and former chairman John Visser, journeyed six hours to the Benguet Mountain region to visit farms and see the techniques and growing conditions the Filipino farmers contend with.
“We toured their ‘trading post’ where all locally grown vegetables are gathered, washed, bagged, and loaded onto trucks to fill the orders for restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores as far away as Manila,” Shaw says. “The pride was more than evident in not only lobbying and working together with government for the establishment of a new trading post, but in their livelihood in agriculture as well.”
The trio visited several farms where small plots of land were used, with three crops planted annually including potatoes, carrot, and cabbage in rotation, using a staggered approach. Many of these farms sit on cleared plateaus where little mechanization is viable.
While educational, Shaw says the highlight of the trip was sitting with close to 50 members of their United Potato Producers of Benguet Mountain Province — the first grower organized potato association — to hear firsthand the positive impacts of this unique collaboration.
“Hearing directly from these farmers about how our seed has changed their lives was nothing short of remarkable,” Shaw says.
“They’re eager to partner with us again, and we look forward to nurturing this relationship further.”
