Reading Time: 2 minutes A big factor influencing potato demand in the past decade or two has been low-carb diets that eschewed potatoes. But those negative views are changing, according to Blair Richardson, president of Potatoes USA. “The research we’ve been conducting in the last couple of years (shows) that consumer perception of the potato is actually improving quite […] Read more
U.S. looks to gain back potato market share
New products available for potato growers in 2017
Reading Time: 5 minutes Aprovia Aprovia fungicide is a new alternative for the control of verticillium wilt. Aprovia contains the fungicide Solatenol, a SDHI (succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor) fungicide from FRAC Group 7. It is registered for in-furrow application to suppress verticillium wilt, silver scurf and rhizoctonia (black scurf, and stem and stolon canker). syngenta.ca Aprovia Top Aprovia Top fungicide […] Read more
Diversification the name of the game for Lewis Farms
Change Makers: From potatoes to grain to a commercial bull business, Lewis Farms has diversified to manage risk and accommodate market challenges
Reading Time: 7 minutes “Sometimes, progress simply isn’t possible without change,” says Ken Lewis, general manager of Lewis Farms in Spruce Grove, just west of Edmonton, Alta. Which means that ignoring opportunities to change, or actively resisting change when it arrives can actually be the paths of greatest risk. Because change will happen. In fact, like other farmers, Lewis […] Read more
Canadian potato industry on the upswing
A weaker loonie and promotion of potatoes prepared in more healthy ways are improving prospects for growers and processors
Reading Time: 6 minutes After several years of challenging times, the Canadian processing potato industry is feeling a lift, in part due to a lower loonie. It’s stimulated exports of french fries and other processed products as well as fresh potatoes to the United States and other markets, and for the first time in years some processing plants in […] Read more
Fungicide cleared to curb verticillium wilt in potatoes
Reading Time: 2 minutes A label expansion for Syngenta’s Aprovia fungicide, to cover additional soil-borne potato diseases, makes it the first fungicide in Canada approved to suppress verticillium wilt in potatoes. Fumigants have been potato growers’ only option against the crop disease until now, Eric Phillips, Syngenta Canada’s fungicides and insecticides product lead, said in a release Thursday. Verticillium […] Read more
Building a traditional farm for a modern world
Change Makers: Yesterday’s values can still guide their farm today, Jason and Laura Kehler are discovering, but only if those values are re-engineered for efficiency, and for a new business climate
Reading Time: 8 minutes Today’s farmers are change makers. Re-inventing our farms has become normal. So Country Guide asked top ag journalists from across the country to interview farmers who excel at change, taking their farms in very different directions with an eye to finding their best opportunities. Their stories start with our January 2017 issue and will continue […] Read more
Sweet potato experts win World Food Prize
The foursome has worked to improve nutrition in sweet potatoes
Reading Time: < 1 minute Four scientists who specialized in sweet potatoes were named the winners of this year’s World Food Prize on June 28 for their work to make foods more nutritious. Maria Andrade of Cape Verde, Robert Mwanga of Uganda and American Jan Low, who all are from the Lima, Peru-based International Potato Center, and American Howarth Bouis […] Read more
Canada clears Simplot’s spot-resistant GM potato
Reading Time: 2 minutes Potatoes modified for reduced bruising and black spots, and for lower levels of a chemical linked to health risks in baked spuds or fries, have picked up federal approvals. The plant science arm of U.S. potato giant J.R. Simplot announced Monday its first-generation Innate Gen. 1 potato varieties have passed food and feed safety assessments […] Read more
Maximum residue levels an issue that’s coming to a head
New trade agreements should be good for horticultural product exports, but fuzzy rules around MRLs could become non-tariff barriers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Mention maximum residue levels (MRLs) to a grower or a chemical company representative, and you’re likely to receive a frustrated response. In spite of trade deals between continental jurisdictions, the MRL issue continues to be a stick in the cogs of the smooth operation of trade agreements. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) or the Comprehensive Economic […] Read more
Research funds to boost french fry exports
The funds will be used to identify factors that limit potato yields
Reading Time: < 1 minute Potatoes New Brunswick will lead a national research effort to improve potato yields and boost the export competitiveness of Canadian french fries with the help of up to $1.4 million in government support. The investment through AgriInnovation will enable Potatoes New Brunswick to work with other industry partners, Agriculture Canada scientists and universities, to identify […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
