McCain company executive makes predictions for future of potato industry

While he maintains there will be a market for potatoes well into the future, Ghislain Pelletier predicts the future of the industry will bear little resemblance to the past. The global vice-president for agronomy for McCain Foods was one of the keynote speakers at the recent annual meeting of the Prince Edward Island Potato Board in Canada. He noted potatoes are a highly productive crop that can be grown in a number of climates. They are also one of the most healthy, offering more nutrition value than crops like rice when compared on a per acre basis. “The demand for potatoes will grow in developing countries,” he predicted. “The size of the global potato consumption pie will grow but the producer’s share will change.” The McCain executive also sees China and India becoming bigger players in the industry, predicting both countries will significantly increase their productivity and quality in the next decade. He noted both countries are improving their production practices with better seed and equipment. “New technology will continue to accelerate with trends like novel breeding,” he said. More