Funds target potato export promotion

Friday, March 11, 2011

by SUSAN MANN

The Canadian Horticultural Council will be getting new promotional material to help it boost potato sales around the world with funding announced by the federal government Thursday.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told the council at its annual meeting in Ottawa it was getting $743,000.

Most of the money, $688,000, is earmarked to help the council launch international market development and export activities for potatoes. The council will use the money to develop new promotional materials, participate in trade shows and international trade missions to showcase potatoes particularly in Africa, Asia, South America and Russia.

Keith Kuhl, chairman of the council’s potato committee and a Manitoba potato farmer, says they’ll continue working with experts from other potato-producing countries “in sharing ideas on marketing and looking at the research that’s being done in the countries.”

The council will also develop a long-term international strategy for the greenhouse vegetable sector.

The remaining $55,000 will be used to help the council determine the feasibility and cost to improve farm record keeping with GPS technology. Better record keeping at the field level will help assure markets and consumers that Canadian potatoes are grown to the highest standards.

In 2009, Canada produced about 4.6 million tons of potatoes. In the 2008-09 marketing year, exports of potatoes and potato products were valued at about $1.5 billion.

The market development project is funded through an $88 million Agri Marketing fund of Growing Forward. It’s designed to help industry associations implement long-term international promotion strategies.

The farm recordkeeping project is funded through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation program. That’s a five-year, $163 million program designed to help the agricultural sector adapt and remain competitive. BF