Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Our potato varieties have something for everyone

With names like AAC Poppy, AAC Glossy, and AAC Red Viola – today’s marketplace for spuds is no longer as simple as “you say PO-TAY-TOE, I say PO-TAH-TOE.” These potatoes are among the more than 30 varieties developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) that are currently under license by the Canadian industry for sale to domestic and international markets. The process of identifying potato selections that have the potential to deliver on industry needs takes six years to complete before they are shared with the potato industry through AAFC’s Accelerated Release Program. Only a few star performers make the cut each year out of more than 100,000 candidates. Ten to fifteen of the best of the best selections developed by the AAFC breeding program are unveiled to industry during a special annual Potato Release Open House event, held simultaneously at different locations across the country. More