News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from Canada

The United States has agreed to let imports of Prince Edward Island table stock potatoes to Puerto Rico resume. United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the announcement in a news release last week.

The Government of Canada is committed to restoring market access for PEI fresh potatoes to the United States and supporting PEI farmers impacted by trade disruptions.

P.E.I.'s agriculture minister says he is still hopeful potatoes in limbo won't have to be destroyed, but indications suggest restrictions on Island spuds will last into the new year.

Potato Production in Canada for the year 2021, is estimated at 123,054,000 hundredweight. This is up 18.9 million hundredweight or 18.2% above 2020 (which had very low production in the two Eastern provinces).

After 20 years of successful management, potato wart has closed the U.S. border again. P.E.I. farmers are five days into a suspension of trade for their potatoes into the U.S. market.

With its roots firmly planted on PEI soil for over 74 years, Johnston’s Homestyle proudly supports local farmers while they face challenges during supply chain restrictions.

The Government of Canada is working with the Province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) and industry to support PEI farmers following the recent suspension of certification of fresh potatoes from PEI to the United States.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is shocked by the decision by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to suspend the certification of exports of all potatoes from Prince Edward Island to the United States of America.

Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced measures to prevent the spread of potato wart from Prince Edward Island (PEI). Potato wart is a plant disease that poses no threat to human health or food safety, but is known to decrease potato yield.

CBC reports that the US border has again closed to Prince Edward Island seed potatoes after potato wart was found in two P.E.I. fields.

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.

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 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.

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.

The United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC) provide an update on the potato planting in Canada (May 27, 2021). Seeding in Western Canada is winding up, while growers in the Atlantic region are in full planting mode.

Potato acreage in Canada will not be officially reported until early July, so it is often helpful to take an early look at industry projections across the country. The analysis is more difficult this year as demand for potato products returns to pre-COVID levels.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has lifted its voluntary suspension of export certification for P.E.I. seed potatoes, allowing trade to the United States to resume.

Potato Production in Canada for the year 2020, is estimated at 104,203,000 hundredweight. This is down 1.4 million hundredweight or 1.3 percent below de production in 2019.