The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency, visited the Provincial Government’s Nuclear Seed Potato Propagation Facility on Brookfield Road in St. John’s today to view the first crop of nuclear seed potatoes grown from plantlets produced at the facility. The minister was joined by Melvin Rideout, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, and other industry stakeholders.
Established to meet the ongoing demands of the province’s potato industry, the facility maintains the continuous supply of nuclear class seed potatoes and supports ongoing development of potato varieties that are resistant to agricultural diseases and pests and specifically designed for local growing conditions. Nuclear seed potatoes are potatoes that have been produced from disease-free tissue culture plantlets under controlled environmental conditions.
“Maintaining a stable and local supply of nuclear seed potato stock is critical to the support and growth of a sustainable potato industry within the province. Growth in the agricultural sector supports employment opportunities and contributes to enhanced food security which provides social and economic benefits to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”
- The Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency
The Federal Government announced the closure of its Plant Health Facility in St. John’s in April 2012 which resulted in the loss of a provincial source for nuclear seed stock to service the province’s seed potato industry. To fill this gap, and to ensure the industry maintains the ability to produce the necessary nuclear seed stock, the Provincial Government established the Nuclear Seed Potato Propagation Facility.
The facility, which comprises two greenhouses and a propagation laboratory, became fully operational in late 2014 and propagated its first potato plantlets in January 2015.
“This facility is critically important to the province’s agriculture industry and potato producers in particular. Commercial seed potato farmers are able to grow and multiply quality seed potatoes that have been specifically developed and tested for Newfoundland and Labrador’s growing environment. Commercial potato farmers then use these seed potatoes to grow potatoes for consumers’ tables all throughout the province.”
- Melvin Rideout, President, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture
In developing the Nuclear Seed Potato Propagation Facility, the previously existing Forest Ecology Centre and tree nursery was converted into a seed potato facility at an approximate cost of $330,000.
Seed potatoes for Newfoundland and Labrador’s potato industry are currently propagated, or multiplied, at the Nuclear Seed Potato Propagation Facility before being further multiplied in the field at the Provincial Government’s Glenwood Seed Potato Farm. The potatoes are then made available to provincial seed potato farmers who sell them to potato producers and hobby farmers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Source: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador