The PEI Potato Board recently hosted a 15-member delegation from the Philippines, which included farmers from the United Potato Producers of Benguet and Mountain Province (UPPBMP), senior executives from private industry, and the Undersecretary of High Value Crops from the Department of Agriculture. The delegation visited P.E.I. to facilitate knowledge transfer, strengthen an existing partnership, and showcase fresh potatoes for processing as well as Island seed potatoes.
The relationship between the Philippines and the Prince Edward Island Potato Board was established after a successful mission in 2019. During this mission, farmers, food processing companies, and officials from the Philippine Department of Agriculture visited the Island to learn about local potato farming practices and the seed certification program. This initiative led to a highly successful program of seed sales to the Philippines.
The delegation was on P.E.I. from June 9 to 15, with a packed schedule that included touring potato farms, meeting with agriculture businesses, engaging with senior government officials, and potentially sourcing agricultural products produced on the Island. Most of the delegation members are farmers and belong to the largest potato farmers’ cooperative in the Philippines. They were eager to expand their potato knowledge, discover methods to increase production, and learn about innovative strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.
“We wholeheartedly welcome the Filipino delegation to PEI once again,” said says Donald Stavert, chair of the PEI Potato Board Seed Committee. “We take pride in the way we farm and produce potatoes and are encouraged to see interest in doing business together and to grow our seed business relationship.”
The Philippines is Canada’s second largest agri-food and seafood export market in the ASEAN and is increasingly positioning itself as a hub in the region.
