News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from the Americas

The marketing year that ended in June 2021 was unlike any year the US potato industry has ever experienced. With pandemic restrictions ebbing and flowing from June 2020 to July 2021, sales at foodservice fluctuated while retail purchases remained extremely strong throughout the year.

In New Brunswick’s potato belt, the spud is king, yielding two billion pounds of product for a $1.5 billion industry during the annual fall harvest. This year’s potato crop is bigger and better than 2020, thanks to warm weather and good rain over the summer growing season.

Aroostook County agricultural growers are predicting a higher quantity and quality of potato crop than was produced in 2020, due to the less severe weather this summer.

Weather patterns have continued to influence the outlook for the Canadian potato crop since UPGC’s last update. Eastern Canada (particularly PEI) has received record amounts of rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

The hot, dry and smoky growing season has left some Idaho potato farmers bracing for a poor crop. For Randy Hardy of Oakley, harvest will likely be the worst of his career.

Productores de papa de Honduras emitieron un nuevo llamado de auxilio en demanda al gobierno de condonaciones de deudas y subsidios que les permita salir adelante con deudas financieras y recuperarse de pérdidas millonarias.

A medida que la pandemia va permitiendo la apertura de los distintos sectores de la economía argentina, uno de los negocios con perspectivas de crecimiento en el corto plazo, es el de las papas congeladas. En este contexto, la canadiense McCain, espera crecer en volumen más del 35 porciento en el próximo año.

The toll that hot dry weather took on the Red River Valley 2021 potato crop won’t be visible until harvest begins in a few weeks, but it’s already clear it has affected yields and quality.

United States imports of potatoes and potato products for the July 2020 – June 2021 marketing year increased by 12% in fresh weight equivalent volume and 16% in value, compared to the previous marketing year.

Exports from the U.S. were impacted by reduced demand and shipping problems starting in January 2020; this reduced demand carried through the end of 2020.

The potato crop in Canada in mid-August appears to have good potential in many - though not all - regions to meet the needs of industry and to rebound after reductions.

From July 2020 - June 2021, potato sales in the United States increased in dollars by 3% but declined slightly in volume by 0.3% compared to the previous July-June marketing year.

All-yellow flesh potatoes continue to rise above russets, reds and whites in the critical metric of retailer volume sales, an encouraging sign for grocers as growers ready for their upcoming fall harvests.

Across Asia, 170 potato varieties have been released either through the International Potato Center (CIP)’s breeding program over the last four decades or by using germplasm held in its collections.

Camiones tras camiones, cargados de papa, cruzan la frontera colombo-venezolana para surtir el mercado nacional, ya que la producción de ese tubérculo en Venezuela bajó considerablemente.

The United States pressured Mexico on Wednesday to allow genetically modified crops into the country and to open up access to U.S.-grown potatoes. Trade talks were held Wednesday in Mexico City.

You may have read last week that Mexican Agriculture Secretary Víctor Villalobos Arámbula is expected to travel to Washington, D.C. in early August to meet with his American counterpart, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The potato crop in Canada is in varying stages - from emergence to touching between rows. Potato growers everywhere are optimistic for the good growing conditions needed to move this crop in its early life stages.