Closer™ insecticide from Corteva Agriscience™ now provides Canadian fruit and vegetable growers with even more labeled pest control options. With many growers looking for a single solution capable of controlling more than one pest problem, Closer insecticide’s recent label expansion is excellent news for those wanting greater access to a highly-effective product that controls insects at various stages of growth. Canadian growers already depend on Closer for quick-and-effective control of pests, such…
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is inviting public comment on a request from J.R. Simplot Company to extend deregulation to a potato variety, designated as Snowden Z6 (Z6 potato), the USDA says in a news release on June 24. The variety is genetically engineered for late blight protection, lowered reducing sugars, low acrylamide potential and reduced black spot bruising. APHIS previously reviewed and deregulated these…
Fields across Ontario are at very different stages ranging from flowering and bulking in south western Ontario to still emerging in late areas such as Shelburne-Melancton. Most of the fields planted in early May in central Ontario are filling the rows, and tuber size is good! I saw leaf burning caused by heat and excessive evapo-transpiration. Plants overgrow this leaf burning lesions. Poor emergence has been noticeable in a few fields. Possible…
Burlington, Ont.-based EarthFresh has switched its packaging to biobased material, the international produce company, says in a news release on June 22. The switch was made based on consumer demand for environmentally responsible and sustainable products. “The mesh in these new bags is derived from a highly renewable resource and is 100% recyclable. We are excited to bring sustainable products to the market,” Jessica Hughes, director of innovation at EarthFresh, says in the…
Phew. After incredible market upheaval from March through much of May, processing potatoes are finally moving again as fry processors restart their lines. COVID-19 has resulted in a very rough go for potato processors and farmers alike, but I’m really pleased to see some positive market trends slowly returning. That said, the two plus month backlog means farmers need to prepare for much longer-term potato storage than normal. Even under the best-case…
Only 75 per cent of McDonald’s stores globally were open as of April 30 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the fast food giant to close its stores, however by June 19 95 per cent of McDonald’s restaurants were open again, the June 17 issue of North American Potato Market News says. System sales for the fast food restaurant dropped by 39 per cent during April and were down 20.9 per cent in May. Sales…
Emergence in Manitoba potato fields is ranging from not emerged to 25 cm in height, the weekly crop report from Manitoba Agriculture on June 16, says. Some blackleg/soft rot and dry rot affected sprouts are being noticed in some fields, the report notes. Cutworms have also been found in some fields.
Less than two per cent, or $24 million, of payouts from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) has been given to specialty crop producers, a June 16 news release from the National Potato Council (NPC) says. The USDA has paid out more than $1.4 billion overall for the program, with $676 million going to livestock producers, $368 million to non-specialty crop growers and $337 million to…
Applications from for-profit and not-for-profit organizations are now open for the $50 million food surplus program which was announced by the federal government in May, a June 15 news release from the ministry of agriculture and agri-food says. “The pandemic has caused significant fluctuations in food demand and supply, resulting in surplus food across our country,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, says in the release. “We are working hard to…
The federal government has launched a $77.5 million Emergency Processing Fund to help the food supply industry adapt to pandemic changes, a news release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food, says on June 12. “This Emergency Processing Fund will help our processors to adapt their activities to ensure the safety of their workers, and to increase their capacity of production,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, says in the release. The…
McCain Foods, Smart Electric, Mid-Plains Implements in partnership with the Carberry Fair Potato Truck Pull, will be hosting a free fry day community event to raise funds for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation while simultaneously supporting Canadian potato farmers, a news release on June 12 from McCain says. The free fry day will take place on Friday, June 19 with nearly 7,500 bags of french fry potato products, supplied by McCain Foods, given…