b'the International Potato Center (CIP) in May 2011 and has since been working as its deputy director general and director of the CIP-China Centre for Asia and Pacific (CCCAP), a regional arm of CIP. His primary responsibility is heading the start-up work of CCCAP, the first major presence in China of an international agriculturalMcCain Foods Invests $12 Million in its Florenceville Facilityresearch organization under the Consultative Group of International AgriculturalMcCain Foods Canada, a division of McCain Foods Limited, plans to further invest Research (CGIAR). $12 million in its potato processing facility in the French fry capital of the world, Florenceville, N.B. This investment will add capacity to the existing line that pro-duces French fries for the companys food service and retail business and will be completed in two phases: one starting in August and the second phase completing BUSINESS NEWS in early 2020.HZPC Launches Brand Update This capacity build will require an additional 400 hectares (1000 acres) of pota-HZPC recently launched its brand update. The renewed branding expresses thetoes from local growers in the community. It follows a recent $65-million investment heritage as well as ambition of the network company. For more than 120 years, theadding a new potato specialty line to the same production facility in 2017.company has been in the business of seed potatoes. They share knowledge and partner up to develop new varieties that live up to the climatological, commercial and cultural demands the industry faces. The new look and feel appears strong as well as simple, combining heritage with innovation.INDUSTRY NEWSPotato Genome Further UnveiledScientists from Solynta and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have pub-lished the most complete genome sequence for potatoes to date.A unique aspect Cavendish Farms Announces New Potato Research Centre in P.E.I. is both sequence and plant material are made available for research (under spe-Cavendish Farms announced the construction of a new potato research and plantcific conditions). This may, in the future, result in a potato that is more resistant to breeding centre in New Annan, P.E.I. The $6-million facility, fully funded by theheat or drought or has a greater resistance to diseases.company, is an investment in the sustainability of P.E.I.s potato industry. The recent research applied a diploid real potato plant with only oneAs witnessed over the last two summers, the growing season is changing withgenome, a so-called homozygote, which makes it easier to read and comparehotter temperatures and less precipitation at critical times. This is a real challengethe DNA base sequence. This plant, Solyntus, was produced as part of Solyntas for P.E.I. growers and places the potato crops at risk. The new research facility,hybrid potato breeding program. The genome sequence is available viawith the state-of-the-art greenhouse, will allow Cavendish Farms to conduct im- https://www.plantbreeding.wur.nl/Solyntus.portant research year-round. Different lines of potatoes with promising traits such as superior yields and a reduced environmental footprint specific to soil, climatic and seasonal conditions on Prince Edward Island will be evaluated. The centre will open in 2020 and create four full-time and up to 12 seasonal jobs. Lethbridge College, Potato Growers Partner on Irrigation StudyA new study will dig deep into the soil to determine how watering and irrigation methods affect southern Albertas potato crops. The four-year research project is a partnership between Lethbridge Colleges Centre for Applied Research, Innovation McCain Foods Invests in its First Frozen French Fry Factory in Brazil and Entrepreneurship, and the Potato Growers of Alberta. It is made possible McCain Foods announced its investment in its first French fry factory in Brazil. Withthrough a grant from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.this investment, McCain continues its expansion strategy in the Brazilian market.The $397,595 grant allows for the study of five different potato fields through-After acquiring 49 per cent of Forno de Minas, which specializes in bread snacksout southern Alberta. The watering practices of two producers near Vauxhall, as and appetizers in 2018, and 70 per cent of Srya, a Brazilian company specializingwell as farms near Bow Island, Chin and Taber, are being monitored. The diversity in preformed potato products in May 2019, McCain is now focused on its mainof fields allows researchers to study a variety of different soil types and topog-growth category: frozen French fries. raphies, which will give a holistic look at how moisture reacts with and affects With an investment of approximately US$ 100 million, the intention is to buildpotato crops. The research team will record how producers use their existing the new plant in the city of Arax, in Minas Gerais State, which is where Srya isirrigation and available water sources and the outcome it has on crops in different situated. With this project McCain expects to generate 150 direct jobs, 450 indirectparts of their fields.jobs and positively impact approximately 750 farmers and agricultural profes-sionals. The new plant in Brazil, due to be opened in the first half of 2021, will significantly increase McCains production capacity in Latin America. Rampart Fungicide hasNO SODIUM That means that Rampart delivers excellent uptake. FALL 2019 SPUDSMART.COM 65WWW.UAP.CA'