Request for Proposal (RFP) applications are now available for prospective farmers interested in large-scale potato production at newly cleared farmland properties located near Junction Brook, Dead Water Brook, and Glenwood.
These areas include approximately 700 acres of cleared, agricultural Crown land with access roads, with potential for further expansion. This land has the potential to yield more than 230 acres of potatoes annually on a three-year rotation – the equivalent of 120 tractor-trailer loads, or 15 million pounds of this traditional and ever-popular crop.
Seed potatoes produced at the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development at Wooddale will be available to commercial potato producers to help ensure a consistent supply of certified seed varieties, and to help increase crop yield for successful proponents. Along with other agricultural-based initiatives focused on improving food self-sufficiency, the centre researches and produces potato varieties that thrive in Newfoundland and Labrador’s specific growing conditions.
Request for Proposal Guides, including overview and suitability maps of the land available for development, can be accessed online at Land for Agriculture.
Preference will be given to proposals for potato production and associated crops normally used in rotation with potato production. The deadline to submit proposals is April 26, 2021. For more information on the RFP process, call 709-637-2081 or email danielsweetapple@gov.nl.ca or jasonmacdonald@gov.nl.ca.
The large-scale potato production initiative was announced in June 2020 as part of a $13-million plan to create jobs in a growing agriculture sector and directly support farmers and producers. Additional properties available for agriculture development will be advertised soon.
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“Potatoes are a tried and true staple of Newfoundland and Labrador’s agriculture sector. Since announcing this initiative in June 2020, we have been preparing to put this valuable farm land into production by improving road access, and clearing and developing these sites for potato production. This initiative is expected to more than double current production of this hardy crop – and advance our goal to improve food self-sufficiency in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Derrick Bragg
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
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Learn more
Provincial Government Announces $13 Million for Plan to Develop Agriculture Sector and Create Jobs
Request for Proposals: Land for Agricultural Development
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Media contact
Linda Skinner
Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
709-637-2284, 632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca