News Planting Storage
Potato holdings, planting projections suggest strong season

Key indicators for the potato industry on Prince Edward Island and across North America include current holdings and planting projections, and, based on a report by Island Farmer, numbers discussed at a recent international conference indicate things look positive for the new season.

Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, returned last week from the ‘crop transition conference’ in Minnesota, held annually by the United Potato Growers groups where industry experts and analysts from Canada and the United States converge.

“We study the supply situation of the old crop relative to what the market needs, and then look at everyone’s projections in anticipation of the new crop coming on, like acres planted. We try to get a handle on the supply-demand situation from old to new,” said Donald.

Donald said early projections are that P.E.I.’s acreage will be similar or slightly larger this year than last. The same projections are being offered by other potato growing areas like Idaho, Manitoba and Alberta.

That would put P.E.I.’s acreage at between 83,500 to 84,000 acres this season but Donald said until Stats Canada releases its final figures around mid-July, “we just don’t know for sure, but I’d say somewhere close to last year.”

“Some people are still planting (as of June 20) because of delays caused by a period of cool, wet weather in early June.”

Donald said those figure point to “positive feelings in the industry around North America . . . that we’re kind of holding our own.”

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