Prairie producers increase potato acreage

Potato producers from across the country logged in last week for the 2024 Canadian Potato Summit.

Victoria Stamper, the General Manager for the United Potato Growers of Canada says Stats Can figures show as of 2022 we had 951 potato farms across the country with total sales of over 1.5 billion dollars.

"Our average yield in Canada is 332 hundredweight per harvested acre for this year. Major potato growing provinces in acres 83,500  PEI is still at the top, but the West is closing the gap Manitoba at 81,000 and Alberta at 80,000 acres."

Overall, the 2023 plant went very well and very quickly, but starting in early May and June rain started in the east and didn't stop for the most part, especially in Quebec. 

She says the impact of that is reflected in the results in terms of potato production versus 2022.

"We still had an overall increase of 3.7 per cent. So still very, very good overall, and that's boosted by the increased acreage of course in the West combined with very good yields."

She points out we saw a 17 percent increase in the Western provinces, in Manitoba and Alberta, while most of the other areas have remained fairly flat in terms of overall planted acreage.

"We see it a little bit, but it's hard to tell because Saskatchewan is a smaller player in the overall scheme of acreage, but there is some increases going on here in Saskatchewan."

Stamper expects to see these figures continue to increase over the next couple of years with the planned expansion of the McCain facility in Coaldale, Alberta, as well as other developments in processing throughout North America.