Potato production is down in Manitoba this year, a result of input costs, market value and a decrease in demand. Labour shortage issues, rising production costs and higher returns in other crops, as well as economic factors, have contributed to less potato crops being planted in Manitoba in 2008.
“Many guys decided not to grow,” said Ian Wishart, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. “Other crops were better options for them.”
Many Manitoba farmers have decided to take advantage of crops with unusually high market values this year, such as wheat and canola. Wishart added potato planting is down locally in part because Simplot Canada Ltd. and McCain Foods Ltd. went elsewhere for their potatoes this year. “The companies themselves contracted slightly less acres” from local producers. However, french fry demand actually increased this year across North America as a whole, for the first time in years.
“One of the factors in Canada’s potato acreage being down is our high Canadian dollar,” Wishart stated, pointing out local companies can purchase American potatoes at a lower cost.
