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Vegetable production was probably the first type of agriculture
enterprise carried on in Newfoundland. Having a good supply of
vegetables was necessary for survival in the early days of
settlement.
The main emphasis of vegetable production today still concentrates on
the types of vegetables that are most suited to our soil and climate
conditions. The vegetable industry in the province was valued at over
$6.0 million in 2006. The most important vegetable crops
produced are potatoes,
turnip, cabbage,
carrot, and beets.
However,
our diets are changing; people are becoming more health conscious,
and the value of a more varied mix of vegetables in our diet is more
appreciated and Newfoundland and Labrador producers are changing to
capture some of the market.
Vegetable growers have adopted the latest technology to produce these
crop competitively. Growing crops is a complex business, it
involved planning, financing, accounting, labor management,
mechanization, pest control, harvesting, cooling, storage, grading,
packaging and marketing. Our farmers use the latest equipment and
facilities ie. precision seeders,
mechanical transplanters, greenhouses, row covers,
irrigation, refrigerated, jacketed and
ice bank cooled storages just to list some of the
technologies.
Opportunities in the vegetable sector include:
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Extend the market season of the traditional root crops
and cabbage by the construction new and improving existing
storage capacity.
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Put more emphasis on the production and marketing of non traditional
and speciality crops.
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Use technologies such as floating row covers and unheated greenhouses
to capture the early market and grown warner and longer season crops.
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To continue efforts to expand and create new markets; farmer’s
markets, farm markets, sales to fundraising organization, u-picks, etc.
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To emphasize to consumers the value fo fresh local grown
vegetables and the economic importance of buying Newfoundland
grown to support the economy.
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To add value by further processing. Vegetable products have been
made and continue to be made in Newfoundland ie. peeled potatoes,
canned and frozen greens, soups. These products could be
expanded. The following products may offer possibilities,
coleslaw, carrot sticks, ready made salads, shredded lettuce,
pickled beets, rhubarb wine, frozen turnip and rhubard. Soups
and stews based on wild game meat and local vegetables could
have possibilities. These products could first be marketed
through institutional markets ie. Restaurants, hotels, hospitals,
etc.
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Explore the production of culinary and medicinal herbs. People
are willing to try different foods and there is interest in
alternative medicine. The preparing, packaging and marketing of
these products offer opportunities for adding value. Major markets
could exist outside of Newfoundland and Canada for these products.
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Challenges in the vegetable industry include an adequate land base for
expansion, proper crop rotation and efficient mechanization; capital to
acquire land, machinery and buildings; and knowledge and skills to
stay competitive in an every more competitive environment.
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