Dawn Ius

1 week ago | spudsmart.com | Dawn Ius

Diploid potatoes are back in the headlines — and for good reason. Rapid progress means real solutions are on the horizon for growers. The Canadian potato industry has long relied on tetraploid varieties — plants with four sets of chromosomes — but a new wave of breeding technology is emerging that promises faster development, improved resilience, and greater diversity. At the heart of this change are diploid potatoes — plants with just two sets of chromosomes.

2 weeks ago | spudsmart.com | Dawn Ius

Farmers are losing their audiences to flashier and more accessible social media influencers. Consumers are losing confidence in their food as a result. Canada’s reputation for producing high quality, safe food has taken a hit. A recent survey conducted by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) found that only three in 10 Canadians believe the country’s food system is on the right track — a sharp decline in confidence the industry can’t afford to ignore.

2 weeks ago | spudsmart.com | Dawn Ius

The 2025 planting season has been anything but straightforward. Inconsistent weather, delayed planting, and shifting market dynamics have created a challenging environment for growers across the county. “Alberta, I think they probably got the best start,” says Victoria Stamper, General Manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada. “Overall, I’d say growers in the west are feeling pretty optimistic.”By contrast, Quebec faced more challenges.

2 weeks ago | spudsmart.com | Dawn Ius

Prince Edward Island is launching a buy-back program for designated potato wart index fields — and that’s good news for the industry, says Greg Donald, General Manager of the PEI Potato Board. In 2000, when potato wart was first identified on the Island, the federal government established a number of index fields as part of an aggressive strategy to eradicate and control the spread of the disease.

2 weeks ago | spudsmart.com | Dawn Ius

Potatoes are in the ground and processing contracts are negotiated. United Potato Growers of Canada General Manager Victoria Stamper breaks down what’s happening across the country, the status of Canada’s potato holdings, and how things are looking across the border — all this and more in this month’s Market Update.