University of Lethbridge has partnered with industry professionals to strengthen the potato market in southern Alberta, with an industry that injects more than USD1bn into Alberta’s economy each year.

“The potato industry in this province is not just in southern Alberta, but province-wide. We have about 55,000 acres of production within this province, making us one of the largest growing areas in Canada,” said Terence Hochstein, executive director with the Potato Growers of Alberta, according to globalnews.ca.

The University of Lethbridge has organized Potato Research Lab, which showcases the work being done to support producers when growing the spuds.

“It’s a program that has been 10 years in the works. It’s between the industry, the Potato Growers, Cavendish Farms, Lamb Weston, McCain’s and the university. It’s a collaborative project to create a first-of-its kind program in Canada, specifically focusing on potato research,” Hochstein said.

Looking to harvest local solutions to common problems, the project brings together not only industry professionals, but also generations of future researchers, helping build a stronger spud sector in the years to come.

“The uniqueness of this position is not only to conduct basic studies of potato biology and physiology, but also to translate this knowledge in an official way into practical application in fields,” said Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko, research chair for potato science at the University of Lethbridge.