News on The Potato Supply Chain from Northern America

David Douches, a professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and director of the MSU Potato Breeding and Genetics Program, has been at the forefront of the potato’s transition as people get more adventurous with their eating habits.

Manitoba’s potato sector is gearing up to supply an expanding industry but seed supplies will be tight after a tough harvest last season. A number of producers are planning capital upgrades to keep up with the rise in demand.

UK vegetable harvesting and handling equipment manufacturer, Scotts Precision Manufacturing, is celebrating after receiving its biggest ever order from Canada.

Spring is just now beginning to shine in much of eastern Oregon and Washington. A winter of record snowfall left the ground frozen or flooded much later than normal. As a result, farmers are getting a late start on their crops.

ARS Researchers studied potato tubers from the Klamath Basin in Oregon infected with the causal bacteria of zebra chip disease. They confirmed the presence of the pathogen but did not identify the sample as one of the six known varieties (haplotypes).

A New Brunswick-grown industry partnership will see Grand Falls host an all-new edition of the major farming trade show AgriExpo this summer.

EarthFresh Farms announces their expansion into the Southeastern USA with an advanced technological packing plant and distribution center in Atlanta, GA.

In the latest addition to his blog (https://www.gatesnotes.com), Bill Gates highlights that in order to fight climate change, we need to look beyond decarbonizing the way we generate electricity. We need to look at agriculture for example...

Supplies of potatoes from Canada’s Prince Edward Island province are very tight.

North American potato processors either have or will be bringing at least 1.3 billion pounds of new processing capacity online between October 2018 and December 2019. In Potato Country, Bruce Huffaker of NAPMN discusses the impact.

Potato brand Tasteful Selections inspires happiness with Small-Bite Campaign

Cavendish Farms is working to develop potato varieties that can thrive in dry growing conditions on Prince Edward Island, says the company’s president Robert Irving.

Potato grower and packer Wilcox Fresh has appointed Justin Reynolds as the company’s new CEO.

Black Gold Farms recently announced that Kerwin Bradley has joined the organization as the Chief Production Officer (CPO). As CPO, Kerwin will support all aspects of crop production and sit on the executive team.

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) selects new boards.

Florida's potato harvest has kicked off and growers are happy with conditions during the growing season thus far.

The World Potato Congress (WPC) is looking to increase its networking role for the global professional potato value chain, especially during the interval between congresses.

Ahmad Al-Mallahi, working at Dalhousie University since October as the McCain Research Chair and assistant professor in the Department of Engineering, is working on sensors and automation to make potato farming smarter.