Algeria eyes expanded N.B. potato trade

Algerian farmers were briefed on the latest science in potato cultivation on Thursday during a New Brunswick stop of a tour of the Maritimes.

• The potato farmers were in Prince Edward Island earlier this week as part of an effort to restart trade between that province and the North African country.
• The last shipload of potatoes from P.E.I. arrived in Algeria in the fall of 2007. The shipment was rejected because some Quebec potatoes on the same boat had ring rot, a bacterial disease. At the Potato Research Centre in Fredericton on Thursday, the delegation heard from scientists who said they have developed potato varieties that are well suited to Algeria’s Mediterranean climate and year-round growing season.
• “As a scientist, I think what you’re able to offer them is information on our breeding capacity,” said Benoit Bizimungu, a potato scientist with Agri-Food Canada.
• “We have a good breeding program here. We’ve developed new varieties that could help the production, with emphasis on good yield, good quality.”
• The average Algerian eats 40 kilos of potatoes a year, nearly rivalling the 60 kilos the typical Canadian packs away.
• But Algeria can’t meet its own demand, making it a major potato importer.
• “The Algerian market represents about $100 million Canadian a year, and they want to double their potato production,” said Dino Kubik, who works with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
• Kubik said the Algerian market will need to import more seed potatoes and he hopes New Brunswick can play a large role in that.
• “I know we have in the past exported about $2 million worth of seed to Algeria and we’re hoping to build on that.”
• A member of the delegation, potato farmer Abdelouohab Kaouche, said he was looking to increase his yields and was impressed with what he saw.
• He said he would like to see more varieties from New Brunswick in Algeria because the country currently depends on Europe for seeds.

• “[We] don’t want to stay hostages of Europe when it comes to seed,” he said, speaking through a translator.