Québec, August 21, 2026 – Last Friday, our experimental site in Sainte-Croix hosted an outstanding potato variety showcase that brought together growers, agronomists, and industry partners from across the region. With nearly 35 attendees, including potato producers and representatives from cooperatives and agronomy organizations, the event highlighted the growing interest in innovative varieties and the future of potato production.
The day was filled with meaningful conversations, field observations, and valuable networking opportunities. Participants had the chance to evaluate a range of promising varieties while discussing agronomic performance, storage characteristics, market potential, and consumer appeal.
One of the highlights of the event was undoubtedly the poutine tasting featuring fries made from our new yellow-flesh variety, AG1601.05. The tasting was a tremendous success and provided a hands-on demonstration of the variety’s exceptional processing qualities and excellent culinary attributes. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, further reinforcing its commercial potential.
Among the new releases on display, Cartier and Red Carré generated significant interest. Several growers have already expressed interest in conducting commercial production trials next season, particularly on Île d’Orléans and along Quebec’s North Shore. In the yellow-flesh category, Constance (Parkland) also attracted considerable attention for its agronomic performance and market promise.
The Sainte-Croix event was part of a broader effort to showcase the varieties developed by Progest, as well as those currently advancing through our development pipeline. Printed brochures highlighting both released and upcoming varieties were distributed in Sainte-Croix and during a similar demonstration event held in Guelph several days earlier.
Our promotional efforts continue this week as we travel to Vancouver to participate in British Columbia’s variety demonstration event. Interest in several of our selections, particularly Red Carré, has already been expressed in previous years, and we look forward to introducing our newest genetics to western Canadian growers and industry stakeholders.
Looking ahead, one development that deserves special attention is AAC line VF180073-13, a red-skinned selection that delivered particularly impressive results this season. Its strong performance suggests it could become an excellent addition to our growing portfolio of varieties in the years to come.
At Progest, we remain committed to developing innovative potato varieties that create value for growers, processors, retailers, and consumers alike. The enthusiasm and feedback received this season confirm that the future is bright, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.
Samuel Gagnon, PhD
418 802-1319
Breeder
s.gagnon@progest2001.com