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A lack of rain hurts PEI potato production, says the general manager of the PEI Potatoes Board, but he does not see this as a direct cause of the closure of an installation of potatoes. Cavendish Farms packaging.
Cavendish Farms announced the closure of its fresh potato packing plant at O. Leary on Monday, with a loss of 40 jobs
In a statement, Cavendish Farms said the weak Island yields have resulted in a shortage of potatoes and that it is not profitable to continue to import potatoes for processing and packaging. He also referred to a moratorium on high capacity irrigation wells, saying that potato cultivation could not depend entirely on rainfall.
In a conversation with Island Morning, P.E.I Greg Donald, chief executive of the potato board, said that lowering precipitation definitely hurts yields. He said that yields were down eight percent in 2017 due to dry weather, and until now, it looks like this year could be similar.
But he added that farmers are working to improve yields by other means. To increase productivity and quality, it certainly requires moisture, but that would be a factor: producers are also focusing on … improving soil health and improving the quality of the soil. rotational crops, "said Donald
. Between mid-July and mid-August, precipitation is less abundant: warmer temperatures and lower precipitation certainly have an impact on the crop, and PEI. (CBC)
Donald stated that the conversations he had with him led him to understand that Cavendish Farms was looking to turn away from fresh markets to turn to potatoes frozen and processed. 19659002] Cavendish Farms Denied Application to be Interviewed by CBC News Monday
In its press release, Cavendish Farms also questioned the long-term viability of competition in markets without irrigation. Donald said he was not worried about it, even when Cavendish Farms inaugurated a new plant in Lethbridge
He said that all major processors in North America are launching new plants, and C & D Is a sign of growth in the industry. 19659014] More Prince Edward Island News
