News on The Potato Supply Chain from Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has established a Potato Sector Biosecurity Advisory Group (PSBAG), which will guide the development of a voluntary National Farm-Level Biosecurity Standard for the Potato Sector.

Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) Potato Committee Chair Keith Kuhl announced recently that Mark Drouin has been named Vice President, Potatoes effective October 19, 2010.

Potato ring rot has shown up on at least two Prince Edward Island farms, the provincial Department of Agriculture has confirmed

A controversial bid to buy public land in southern Alberta to grow potatoes has been withdrawn, Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight confirmed today.

After two straight subpar autumns, potato growers on Prince Edward Island, Canada, are breathing a sigh of relief that 2010 has gone so well.

Prince Edward Island's potato harvest is almost complete for the year and producers in the province say they're optimistic about prices.

Potatoes harvested during the country’s inaugural ‘National Organic Week’ (Oct. 9-16) by scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) Harrington Research Farm in Prince Edward Island are prototypes for the industry.

Canada will continue to impose anti-dumping duties on a large share of U.S. fresh-packed potatoes that enter British Columbia.

Canadian growers continue to decrease potato acreage in order to bring production more in-line with market demand.

Anton Wiebe Ltd. was named the 2010 McCain Champion Potato Grower for the McCain Portage La Prairie plant during the annual Growers' Banquet held Oct. 19 at Canad Inns Portage.

An estimated 80 per cent of the potato crop from Western P.E.I. is already in storage, says Bill MacKendrick from the West Prince Department of Agriculture office.

A soggy September has been a catastrophe for many Lower Mainland (region around Vancouver, BC, Canada) potato and vegetable producers, who are still trying to salvage their crops.

Russians' love of potatoes may be force them to turn to Egypt and even America to replace crop lost to this summer's drought.

The P.E.I. Potato Board is expecting an average crop this year because hot, dry weather in August reduced yields.

Manitoba potato producers have experienced a wide range of growing conditions all year, and now are experiencing a wide range of quality for their crop.

The following update on the New Brunswick potato crop was provided by Agriculture and Aquaculture New Brunswick on September 20: