Potatoes Archives - Page 24 of 38

Small numbers of potato psyllids were found in Alberta between 2015 and 2017. The insect was found in Saskatchewan and Manitoba in 2016.

Zebra chip pathogen found in Alberta

This colour-changing disease is making  its way to western Canadian potato fields

By Julienne Isaacs March 8, 2018

Zebra chip” is a fun, jaunty name for a potato disease that has nobody in the industry laughing. The disease, which causes harmless but unsightly stripes in potato chips, costs producers millions of dollars annually in New Zealand and the United States. Now the zebra chip pathogen has been found for the first time in […] Read more

The Colorado potato beetle is considered a major economic pest of potato.

Crops, Features, Potatoes

Beetle-resistant potato varieties

Potato growers could soon be growing Colorado potato beetle-resistant plants

By Julienne Isaacs March 8, 2018

New potato varieties that are naturally resistant to Colorado potato beetle could be on the market in five years, according to Helen Tai, a potato breeder at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Potato Research Centre in Fredericton. Tai is the lead on the breeding project, which has been underway for 30 years, she says, since AAFC […] Read more

Sea surface temperature anomalies (in degrees Celsius) over the equatorial Pacific for the week centred on Feb. 21. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

Crops, Weather

Spring outlook cooler for Prairies, warmer for Ontario

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News February 27, 2018

Growers in parts of Ontario may get an early start on planting this spring, while Prairie fields may see lingering snow and later-than-average last frosts. WeatherFarm’s spring forecast, powered by U.S.-based DTN Progressive Farmer, projects a cold start to the spring as likely for the western half of Canada, reversing the milder conditions shown over […] Read more

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built in Norway in 2008, is the world’s largest secure seed storage site. (Matthias Heyde photo courtesy Government of Norway via Flickr)

Crops, Reuters, Weather

Norway to upgrade ‘doomsday’ seed vault

By Reuters, GFM Network News February 23, 2018

Oslo | Reuters — Norway plans to spend 100 million Norwegian crowns (C$16.1 million) to upgrade a doomsday seed vault on an Arctic island built 10 years ago to protect the world’s food supplies, the government said on Friday. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is meant as a natural deep freeze to back up the […] Read more

Southern Ontario’s farmland prices have jumped, despite stagnant crop prices. (John Greig photo)

Crops, Markets

Southern Ontario median farmland price jumps in 2017

By GFM Network News February 22, 2018

The threat of interest rate increases hasn’t dampened the prices southern Ontario farmers are paying for land. The annual Valco study of land values showed an increase in value of 9.76 per cent for farmland sold in 2017 over 2016. This increase is the largest since 2013. The median price for land in the surveyed […] Read more

Crops, Potatoes

Simplot to supersize Portage la Prairie fry plant

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News February 15, 2018

U.S. agrifood giant J.R. Simplot plans to bulk up its potato processing footprint in southern Manitoba with a $460 million plant expansion. The company and the provincial government on Wednesday announced construction will begin this spring on a 280,000-square foot expansion at its 180,000-square foot french fry processing plant at Portage la Prairie. The expansion, […] Read more

Campbell Soup Co. plans to close its 87-year-old Toronto soup plant by mid-2019. (Campbell Soup Co. via BusinessWire)

Crops, Machinery, Reuters

Moving freight to get more expensive for food companies

By GFM Network News February 2, 2018

Reuters — U.S. food companies called out rising freight costs as a reason for lower profit margins in the holiday quarter, with more pain seen in 2018 as a dearth of drivers and higher diesel prices make it even more expensive to transport products to stores. Hershey, Mondelez International, J.M. Smucker and Campbell Soup said […] Read more

Crops, Potatoes, Reuters

At least two killed in potato farmer protests in Peru

By Reuters, GFM Network News February 1, 2018

Lima | Reuters — At least two people have been killed in clashes at protests by potato farmers across the Peruvian Andes, police said on Thursday, as demonstrators demanded the government make good on promises to buy excess potatoes after a sharp price drop. Thousands of farmers took part in the protests on Wednesday and […] Read more

General, Machinery, Markets

Rising diesel could surge with U.S. infrastructure plan

By GFM Network News January 31, 2018

CNS Canada — Diesel costs in Western Canada are roughly eight to 10 cents higher on average than anytime in 2017, and an industry expert warns that gap could grow even more with a potential surge of U.S. construction. “I think we’re already seeing more evidence of a robust, consumption-driven U.S. as more disposable income […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables

Campbell to shut Toronto soup, broth plant

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News January 29, 2018

Campbell Soup Co. will call a halt to all Canadian soup and broth production by mid-2019 when it closes the doors on its Toronto manufacturing plant. The Camden, N.J. company’s Canadian arm announced Wednesday it will close the plant in phases over a period of up to 18 months and move its production to three […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: ‘Relentless’ fund selling knocks down CME cattle futures

U.S. grains: Soy futures slide as traders worry China may miss US buying target

Pulse Weekly: Steady prices, high production for chickpeas

Potatoes