The Canadian Horticultural Council’s Potato Committee will be meeting during the CHC’s annual general meeting to be held in Ottawa March 12-15.
Topics the committee will likely address during the annual meeting include regulatory and trade issues, plant health, research and food safety. Members of the committee and the chair of the Canadian Potato Council will also be appointed at the annual general meeting.
CPC is comprised of 16 elected provincial representatives and is responsible for implementing decisions of the CHC Potato Committee.
There are 10 subcommittees and working groups within CPC, including the Seed Potato Sub-Committee, Bacterial Ring Rot Working Group, Export Development Strategy Working Group, Quality Assurance Working Group, S. Cairns Chipping Potato Research Committee, On-Farm Food Safety Working Group, Phytosanitary Certificates, Potato Cyst Nematodes Taskforce and the Late Blight Working Group.
“There’s an oversupply this year of potatoes in North America,” said David Jones, manager, potato industry coordinator of CHC. “There are challenges where the extra supplies are going to go. Prices are down significantly.”
In late 2012, CPC released a national potato research and innovation strategy. The report was partially funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Innovation Program. CHC and CPC held national consultations to support the development of the research and innovation strategy.
Clicking the picture below will take you directly to the report.
National Potato Research and Innovation Strategy