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United Potato Growers of Canada welcomes returning members

The Ontario Potato Board recently voted to return as members of the United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC), representing its provincial membership as the UPGC representative in the province of Ontario.

Ontario Potato Board general manager Kevin Brubacher confirmed the vote, saying, “It has been a number of years since the Ontario Potato Board has been a member of UPGC, but we are excited to be back. The United Potato Growers of Canada have turned a corner as an organization and are moving in the right direction in our opinion, we are looking forward to being a part of the positive changes to come.”

This follows a similar announcement from the New Brunswick Potato Board on Feb. 2 voting in favour of re-joining the UPGC as full members.

“We are very pleased to rejoin the United Potato Growers of Canada,” says Matt Hemphill, executive director of Potatoes New Brunswick. “UPGC has a proven track record of providing valuable market information and advocating for fair pricing for potato growers across the country. By working together with UPGC, we can help ensure that our growers receive a fair return for their hard work and investment, and that the Canadian potato industry remains strong and vibrant.”

The United Potato Growers of Canada also announced the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association (SSPGA), led by president Matthew Lawless, were the first non-member province to rejoin UPGC last autumn as a representative of its member seed potato growers in the province of Saskatchewan.

“The SSPGA sees growth potential in the potato industry in Saskatchewan, particularly in seed, so being involved in national organizations is important,” says Lawless.