Manitoba is experiencing an unexpectedly large yield of potatoes this year. Storage sheds are full, according to some in Manitoba. The production this year was so large that many potatoes are still in the ground since farmers have no place to put them.
“Some people had yields they were just not anticipating,” said Dan Sawatzky, manager of the Keystone Potato Producers Association. “They ran out of storage space.”
“Growers are targeting higher yields, intentionally, to try and reduce acreage,” Sawatzky said.
Consequently, about 1,300 acres of potatoes weren’t harvested this year in Manitoba, out of 65,000 total acres. This is good news for the potato industry there which competes against regions in the United States such as Idaho and Washington state, where yields can often reach up to 500 cwt. per acre.
