Alberta's potato industry is in the middle of a growth spurt thanks to an expansion of processing capacity and a growing appetite in Asian countries for french fries and hash browns.Alison Davie, an owner of North Paddock Farms, stands in front of a potato field near Taber, Alta. She says young people are attracted to potato farming thanks to growing opportunities.
That year, Alberta even managed to snatch the crown away from Prince Edward Island as the country's top potato-producingIndustry expanding in Alberta Today, 73 per cent of the acres of potatoes grown in Alberta are for processing of frozen potato products and potato chips, according to the Potato Growers of Alberta.Rising demand for processed Alberta potatoes has been linked to a growing appetite for these products in Asia, according to the Potato Growers of Alberta. The province is exporting potatoes directly to that continent and to the United States to fill some of the need that's opened up as a result of the U.S.
McCain Foods, in particular, is betting big on the future of Alberta potatoes. The Toronto-based manufacturer announced last year it would spend $600 million to double the size of its plant near Coaldale, a rural community about 15 kilometres east of Lethbridge. Still, there will be risk in whether "Mother Nature delivers enough rainfall or snowfall through the winter to feed the irrigation canals," Anderson said.French fries have reliably been the top-selling item across Canadian restaurants and food service chains for at least 15 years, says an analyst with Circana Canada.
"What Gen Zs do going to help to define the future of restaurants and french fries for the next 20 years or so," Sgabellone said.Searching for spuds: Potato farmers near Coaldale prepare for french fry facility expansion