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

Beetle-resistant potato varieties

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

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

(Dave Bedard photo)

Simplot to supersize Portage la Prairie fry plant

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



Officials break ground for Cavendish Farms’ new potatp plant at Lethbridge on Sept. 18. (Alberta.ca)

Alberta, feds back Lethbridge potato processing plant

The federal and Alberta governments are set to cover over $22 million in costs related to the construction of Cavendish Farms’ new potato processing plant at Lethbridge. The two levels of government on Monday announced $20 million for the City of Lethbridge for related municipal infrastructure developments, through the federal/provincial Clean Water and Wastewater Fund […] Read more



Planting in the Delhi region on April 18. (Supplied photos)

Pearce: Rain expected to stall Ontario potato planting progress

Rainfall expected for much of southern Ontario is expected to narrow what’s been a relatively early planting window for Ontario’s potato growers. Two weeks ago, the reports from the Ontario Potato Board were full of warm temperatures and dry soils, and growers, particularly around Leamington and Delhi, took full advantage. One farmer in the Delhi […] Read more


russet potato in Idaho

GM potatoes are going in the ground

Genetically engineered potatoes could claim acreage in Canada in 2017


In 2016, no acres were seeded to J.R. Simplot’s genetically engineered first-generation Innate potato lines in Canada — but industry experts say 2017 will be a different story. “Other than plot-sized production there was no commercial production in Canada this year because of the timing,” says Kevin MacIsaac, general manager at the United Potato Growers […] Read more

Adora is an attractive buttery all-purpose, low-carb potato with smooth, thin skin.

Meet Adora potato — read the info and see the photos

Singing Gardener: Plus, try Ted’s mashed potato pie crust pastry recipe

Anyone who has diabetes will be familiar with two words that follow. A home medical dictionary describes “hyperglycemia” as excess blood sugar and “hypoglycemia” as a condition in which the level of blood sugar is abnormally low or reduced. A doctor’s book of home remedies calls diabetes “the disease of civilization,” and explains how diabetes […] Read more