Manitoba Potato Harvest wrapping up

Potato harvest in Manitoba is virtually complete.

"There may be a few people still picking their last spots, but for all intents and purposes it's done,"says Gary Sloik of Keystone Potato Producers. "Things went quite well. The southern area had some rain during harvest. Portage and Carberry had virtually no hold-ups, so things went quick. Unfortunately, the crop was down so there was less to haul."

"Some people had an extreme amount of dirt (on their potatoes.) When we plant into tough ground in spring, we know it will be a tough harvest, so we had some of that as well,"he says.

Yields were lower due to a combination of late planting, dry conditions later in the growing season and the early frost.

With the decreased yields, he says most Manitoba growers will not be able to capitalize on the high prices caused by the potato shortage in North America.