b'eyeALBERTA please visit our website and consult our seed directory for variety and grower information.Terence Hochstein, Executive Director, Saskatchewans seed potato industry was well represented at Potato Expo Potato Growers of Alberta 2020 in Las Vegas, Nev., as multiple growers attended to network with industry colleagues, view the latest in potato production technology, and listen to various Only in Alberta can you go from -35 C on Friday to 2 C on Sunday morning. Suchpresentations given by researchers and other professionals. The Saskatchewan is the life in the Chinook belt of southern Alberta. The winter in Alberta has beenSeed Potato Growers Association will have a booth at Manitoba Potato Production a mixed bag to say the least. Three feet of snow at the end of September, then itsDays, Jan. 28-30, in Brandon, Man. We also look forward to having representation gone for a while, then another couple of feet, then gone again, and then it turnsat the International Potato Technology Expo, Feb. 21-22, in Charlottetown, P.E.I. extremely cold. All of this has led to tens of thousands of acres being left unhar- Please come meet with us at these shows and learn more about the great things vested across the entire province this fall. I dont think any one growing area washappening in the seed potato industry in Saskatchewan!able to harvest all of their acres. Even the deep south left beets, potatoes, beans and cereals behind. The results of this uncharacteristic fall have led to a few storage issues withMANITOBAsome of the late potato crop that was harvested. Most growers have their problem sheds taken care of by now and the processors are moving into the better-qualityDan Sawatzky, General Manager,spuds. The Alberta processing industry, because of the weather events of the fall,Keystone Potato Producers Associationhas, in some cases, had to source potatoes from outside the province. On the seed side of our industry, 2019 was one of the better years in the last five. WithWeather is always a topic of conversation in Manitoba. It is difficult to forecast on the increase in processing capacity in Western Canada, the East looking for gooda daily basis and completely unpredictable annually. No one could have foreseen a quality seed, and an ever-expanding U.S. market, most all seed growers are sayingsecond year where we would leave a major portion of our crop unharvested. It was their 2019 inventory is, for all intents and purposes, spoken for. the driest first half of the year in 2019 followed by the wettest September on re-With more than 440 attendees and 64 tradeshow booths the 53rd Annual Alber- cord. Although the summer was exceptionally dry, growers utilized their investment ta Potato Conference and Tradeshow was an outstanding success. Every year, thein irrigation to produce a beautiful crop.Potato Growers of Alberta team tries to come up with new and exciting speakersThe challenge to capture the fruit of their labour came during harvest, when and events at the conference. And from talking to the attendees, no one went homethe deluge of rain began and did not relent. September saw 230 to 410 per cent disappointed. Next years event will be held again in Red Deer but will take on a bitof normal precipitation. Generally, harvest is close to being wrapped up by the of a different format. More information to follow in the coming months. beginning of October and does not extend past Thanksgiving weekend. Fortunately, Negotiation season is well underway across North America, with each growing re- the frost held off, but just as fields were beginning to dry out enough for travel, two gion working towards a contract that is both beneficial and profitable for both growersto three feet of wet snow fell on Oct. 11 and 12. A small number of producers were and processors. As the coming months unfold, we will see where each area lands.able to complete harvest just prior to the snow and some harvest continued after, until damaging frost in the last week of October ended the season.Over 12,000 acres remained undug. Once again, as in the previous year, the ar-SASKATCHEWAN eas of the province that left the majority of the crop in the ground were the Portage la Prairie and Carberry regions. Losses borne by the growers are revealing weak-Matthew Lawless, President, Saskatchewan nesses in the business risk management tools available to producers. They lack Seed Potato Growers Association adequate protection against the level of loss that has been incurred. Continuing to look at ways of improving the effectiveness of insurance is ongoing this winter.Winter has settled in across the Prairies, with recent temperatures in Saskatche- Another ongoing issue being dealt with over the winter includes a review of wan reaching -40 C, but feeling as cold as -50 C with the wind chill factor. Thesewater availability. With the expansion occurring in the processing industry, the cold temperatures create some challenges for our seed potato growers relative toneed for additional water supply and infrastructure is evident.storing their crop, but so far, our winter experience is nothing out of the ordinary.The Simplot expansion is on schedule to begin production near the end of Jan-Saskatchewan growers are reporting the 2019 crop is storing satisfactorily. Theuary. This additional capacity is welcome and should help to stay ahead of storage provinces crop is mostly sold well ahead of the 2020 shipping season, althoughissues, which are elevated this year due to the difficult harvest conditions. Both select varieties are still available from certain growers. Should you be lookingprocessors are also currently importing or planning to import supply to augment for top-quality, vigorous, early-generation, and disease/virus-free seed potatoes,local production shortages.48 SPUDSMART.COM WINTER 2020'