April 2019 - 33

restaurants like McDonald's, which
added all-day breakfast in recent years,
and Tim Horton's, which offers a potato
wedge product.
" Consumption has been trending
upwards, too, at least according to
some U.S. reports, which is favorable, "
Donald said.
BOARD INCREASES
MARKETING EFFORTS
Part of PEI's success in terms of
maintaining its reputation for producing
quality potatoes can be attributed to
the work of the marketing board. The
board works to promote the brand and
maintains relationships with its retail
customers, both in the U.S. and Canada.
The organization has a presence on
social media, and regularly sends out
newsletters to its impressive mailing list.
Trade shows mark another point of
contact for the board. This year, PEI
potatoes could be found as far from
home as the Fruit Logistica trade fair in
Germany.
" I think that's what consumers are
looking for today, " Donald said. " They
want to know where and how their food
is grown, and they want to be assured
that it is being grown in a certain way,
and we're able to do that. "
IF YOU CAN'T GET BIGGER,
GET BETTER
As a Nuffield Scholar, Donald studied
potato production and strategies for the
potato industry. His scholarship took
him to The Netherlands where Dutch
farmers face similar land challenges as
PEI farmers do.
" Quite frankly, it's becoming harder
to get bigger because the island isn't
getting any bigger, so our focus is on
getting better, " he said.
Working with similar constraints,
the Dutch have learned how to better
meet consumers' needs, how to develop
better yielding and more nutritious
varieties, and varieties that need fewer
inputs. The board's efforts in this
department led to the launching of an
annual conference that focuses entirely
on agronomy.
This year, the PEI Potato Board teamed
up with the provincial Department
of Agriculture to create the two-day
conference. The conference covered
everything from weed resistance to
the status of Alternaria cucumerina, a
destructive fungus. It also covered soil
compaction, wireworm, crop rotation
and alternative irrigation technology. It
even covered mental health and social
media use.
The conference was a great success,
said Donald, adding that it plays an
important role in their focus on better,
not bigger.
" What we're marketing is a quality
product that is, I would say, second
to none, " he said. " And it is grown by
people with a long tradition of doing
that, who care about the product that
they grow, with the highest standards
when it comes to growing a safe,
nutritious food.
" Really, that is the PEI brand. "
The PEI Potato Board's history can
be traced back as far as 1920 with the
formation of the first Potato Growers'
Association. The first marketing board
was installed in 1950.
Spudman * April 2019
33

April 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2019

April 2019 - 1
April 2019 - 2
April 2019 - 3
April 2019 - 4
April 2019 - 5
April 2019 - 6
April 2019 - 7
April 2019 - 8
April 2019 - 9
April 2019 - 10
April 2019 - 11
April 2019 - 12
April 2019 - 13
April 2019 - 14
April 2019 - 15
April 2019 - 16
April 2019 - 17
April 2019 - 18
April 2019 - 19
April 2019 - 20
April 2019 - 21
April 2019 - 22
April 2019 - 23
April 2019 - 24
April 2019 - 25
April 2019 - 26
April 2019 - 27
April 2019 - 28
April 2019 - 29
April 2019 - 30
April 2019 - 31
April 2019 - 32
April 2019 - 33
April 2019 - 34
April 2019 - 35
April 2019 - 36
April 2019 - 37
April 2019 - 38
April 2019 - 39
April 2019 - 40
April 2019 - 41
April 2019 - 42
April 2019 - 43
April 2019 - 44
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/basf-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com