United Potato Growers of Canada welcomes re-joining members

United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC) pleased to announce, and welcome, re-joining members. At the recent Ontario Potato Board Trade Show and Conference in Guelph, Ontario, and following the recent meeting of the Ontario Board of Directors, the UPGC shared that the Ontario Potato Board has voted to rejoin the UPGC as the representative of its potato grower members in the province of Ontario, effectively immediately.

Kevin Brubacher, general manager, confirmed the positive vote that took place at the Feb. 24, 2023 meeting. “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 UPGC has turned a corner as an organization and it is moving in the right direction in our opinion, we are looking forward to being a part of the positive changes to come,” he commented.

This follows the announcement of the New Brunswick Potato Board on Feb. 2, 2023 in Woodstock, New Brunswick at the NB Potatoes Trade Show and Conference that its Board of Directors voted in favor of re-joining UPGC as full members following recent presentations by Victoria Stamper, general manager to both the Board of Directors and the Shippers Association. New Brunswick Potatoes will be a member as a representative of its grower members in the province of New Brunswick.

“We are very pleased to rejoin the United Potato Growers of Canada,” said 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 UPGC also announced that the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association (SSPGA) led by Matthew Lawless, president, was the first non-member province to re-join 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,” Lawless commented recently. “The new GM of UPGC is bringing a fresh viewpoint to the mandate of the organization and the SSPGA felt it was a good time to re-join.”

“The return of these member provinces reunites UPGC, making it a truly National Potato Organization, representing growers from coast to coast,” Ray Keenan, chairman, said.