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Alberta Positioned To Be Number One Potato Producer in Canada

A new report from ATB Financial shows there could be a new "Spud King" in Canada.

Alberta is virtually tied with P.E.I. producing over 2.23 billion pounds of potatoes in 2018.

Alberta's Agriculture Minister, Oneil Carlier, says Alberta's potato production increased again this year.

"That shows how diversifying the industry is working. We're growing more potatoes and other vegetables as well, so I'm looking forward to that as just an example of what can be done here in Alberta and how important agriculture is to the economy."

Carlier says, it's likely Alberta will be the largest potato producer in Canada next year.

The report shows over the last 20 years, Alberta’s spud production is up 132 per cent while P.E.I.’s is down 18 per cent.

The new Cavendish Farms processing plant in Lethbridge is expected to be complete next fall, which the report says, will encourage even more production.

Source : Discoverairdrie

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Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?