Manitoba producers planted 64,100 acres of potatoes this year, up about 1,200 acres from the previous year, according to Statistics Canada. Alberta producers planted 55,410 acres, up about 1,800 acres from 2017. Behind Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Alberta are the top potato producing provinces.
While acreage increased this year, it doesn’t look likely yields will be increasing also.
For the last few years, potato yields have risen in Manitoba and Alberta, hitting record highs each year. Last year, Manitoba potatoes had a yield of 353.5 per hundredweight (cwt) per acre, up from 350.0 per cwt per acre in 2016, according to Statistics Canada. Alberta potatoes hit a yield of 390.7 per cwt per acre in 2017, up from 388.0 per cwt per acre the previous year.
However due to the hot, dry weather Western Canada experienced during the summer, this year that won’t be the case.
Grainews.ca further quoted Sawatzky as saying: “(It’s) early as far as really knowing what we might end up with here. The crop might surprise us. But at this point ... I’m expecting the crop will be a little bit lighter than last year.”
