Canadian potato production increased last year

Alta. now top-producing province with output of 32.063 million hundredweight surpassing previous year’s 26.813 million

There was reshuffling of Canada’s leading potato-producing provinces in 2023, according to a recent report from Statistics Canada.

At 32.063 million hundredweight of potatoes this year, Alberta vaulted from third to first place as it improved on the previous year’s crop of 26.813 million.

Manitoba moved into second spot from third with its harvest of 29.760 million cwt. following last year’s 26.139 million cwt. crop.

Prince Edward Island saw its output reduced in 2023 to 25.813 million cwt. from 27.789 million. In 2023, the trio combined for 68 percent of Canada’s total potato harvest of 128,801 million cwt.

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Victoria Stamper, general manager of United Potato Growers of Canada, said production in Eastern Canada was mostly down in 2023. She said P.E.I. was hit with rain during its harvest, while Quebec and New Brunswick contended with wet conditions during summer and harvest.

Stamper said Manitoba and especially Alberta saw greatly different conditions in 2023.

“Alberta has been in drought conditions for a few years now. They’ve been helped out with irrigation. Even that was getting tough. There were some growers who moved some their irrigation from other crops to potatoes,” she said.

Statistics Canada calculated 397,232 acres of potatoes were seeded in Canada in 2023, of which 387,061 acres were harvested. That’s an improvement from 385,146 and 379,955, respectively, in 2022.

The average yield was up for a third consecutive year at 332.8 cwt. per acre compared to 325.1 in 2022 and 318.7 in 2021.

Alberta’s planted potato area came to 80,100 acres in 2023, up from 73,080 the previous year. Harvested acres rose to 76,440 from 71,325. Yields pushed past the 400 mark this year, at 419.5 cwt. per acre, compared to 375.9 in 2022.

In Manitoba, planted acres nudged up to 81,000 in 2023 from 80,500, and those at harvest rose to 80,000 from 79,250. Yields improved to 372 cwt. per acre this year versus the 329.8 in 2022.

P.E.I.’s potato acres saw some slight adjustments, with planted acres at 84,500 this year from 83,300 and harvested acres dipping to 83,000 from 83,200. Yields retreated to 311 cwt. per acre this year from the 334 in 2022.

As for the rest of the provinces, their potato crops were: