News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from Northern America

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.

U.S. exports of frozen potato products increased by 30% for the July – September 2021 quarter compared to 2020. These increases were led by a 63% increase to Mexico

Aroostook County (Maine, US) may have pulled a record potato harvest out of the ground this year, but transportation slowdowns and a driver shortage are making it difficult to get the crop to market.

During the first quarter of Potatoes USA’s Marketing Year 2022 (July - September 2021), potato sales decreased in dollars by 1.1% and in volume by 5.7% compared to the same period in 2020.

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.

Don Flannery, president of the Maine Potato Board, is not calling it a record year — yet. But with over 80 percent of this season’s potatoes out of the ground, the longtime industry expert said yields are shaping up to be above average.

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and IRI® announced a new partnership to provide AFFI members with complimentary access to IRI data on frozen food performance in real-time.

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.

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.