Canadian growers recorded a historic potato crop in 2024, with production rising to 127.0 million hundredweight — up 0.3 per cent from the previous year, according to a Stats Canada press release.
New Brunswick saw the most significant increase, up 14.3 per cent to 17.0 million hundredweight, while Quebec followed closely with a 17.5 per cent rise to 13.7 million hundredweight, recovering from the adverse wet conditions of 2023. Alberta retained its status as Canada’s largest potato producer, accounting for 23.7 per cent of the total output, with Manitoba at 21.6 per cent and Prince Edward Island at 20.4 per cent.
Despite a 0.3 per cent decline in total seeded area to 391,438 acres this year, notable regional disparities emerged. Alberta (-4.5 per cent) and Manitoba (-3.0 per cent) reported the largest decreases in planted acreage, primarily due to reduced demand for processing potatoes. Conversely, Quebec (+4.6 per cent), Ontario (+4.1 per cent), and Prince Edward Island (+0.9 per cent) offset some losses with increases in their seeded areas.
Fairly consistent weather conditions throughout the 2024 harvest season enabled producers to successfully harvest 98 per cent of the total seeded area. This contributed to a 0.5 per cent increase in harvested area, totaling 383,666 acres.
On the yield front, the national average dipped slightly to 330.9 hundredweight per acre — a decline of 0.2 per cent from the previous year. Alberta continued to lead with the highest average yield at 412.0 hundredweight per acre, although the province marked a 1.8 per cent decrease. Manitoba followed with a yield of 362.1 hundredweight per acre, down 2.7 per cent, while British Columbia experienced a 10.7 per cent drop to 329.5 hundredweight. Notably, New Brunswick (+9.3 per cent) and Quebec (+10.3 per cent) reported increased yields in 2024.
