Cavendish Farms opens $12.5M research centre with focus on P.E.I.'s 'challenging conditions'

The Cavendish Farms Research Centre officially opened in New Annan, P.E.I., Thursday.

The new facility has three greenhouses and plans to build three more by fall 2021. The research conducted at the centre will involve studying different potato varieties, including developing a variety suited for the droughts the Island has experienced in recent years.

"This centre, I think, is all about the future of potato growers in terms of them being successful. We know the recent years with the droughts the growers have been faced with, the lower yields that they've been faced with, it has been very detrimental to their success," said Robert K. Irving, president of Cavendish Farms.

"We feel that we need successful growers, growers who can reinvest back into their farms to be able to give us the quality of potatoes and supply."

A news release from Cavendish Farms said P.E.I.'s last several summers of hot, dry weather have placed potato crops at risk and the company seeks to develop a variety of potato that is "suitable to the challenging conditions current faced on P.E.I."

200 millions pounds short

Irving estimates that this summer's dry conditions will leave Cavendish Farms short about 200 million pounds of potatoes. 

"It's a significant impact in the sense that if we don't have the potatoes, we have to bring in potatoes from elsewhere, like we did two years ago," he said.

"In 2018, we brought over 200 million plus potatoes, over 2000 trailer loads of potatoes ... we need a regular supply of quality potatoes to operate year-round."

Irving said developing a potato that would thrive in an environment with less water is critical to their business on P.E.I., as they have contracts to fill around the world.

"We can't continue to bring in potatoes from Western Canada or western United States," he said. "We'll have to make decisions to decide where do we go in terms of future investment.

"I think fundamentally potatoes need water, doesn't matter what potato variety you develop, there is a certain amount of water that is required."

Moratorium in question

P.E.I. has a moratorium on using high capacity water irrigation wells for agriculture, but the province has been under pressure from the industry to lift the moratorium — which was first enacted in 2002 as an order of cabinet.

"We're in constant communication with government in terms of the need and plight of the potato farmers here and as well as for, I guess, agriculture in general," Irving said. 

"Their future is at stake here and I think we all have to be concerned about that."

Premier Dennis King was also present at Thursday's opening. He said the province's Standing Committee on Natural Resources was meeting on the very issue of the moratorium the same day.

"I will see what comes to pass from that conversation and where it goes, you know, I have been consistent in my approach that I do think we need science and research and good data to make good informed decisions, you know, for the future," Premier King said.

The centre has created four full time and 12 seasonal jobs.

Officials said the $12.5 million facility was paid for fully by Cavendish Farms.

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