As of June 1, Canadian potato stocks are 20.7 per cent below the three-year average at 14.9 million hundred weight (cwt), the latest data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) shows.
“With 4,000,000 cwt less potatoes available to reach the end of the marketing year, this would be one of the lowest recorded stocks on hand for June. Both east and west regions have similar reductions,” the United Potato Growers of Canada (UPGC) say in a release.
Fresh potatoes are down 3.6 per cent from the three-year average as of June 1 at 2.2 million cwt left in storage. Supply of fresh potatoes is tight in Atlantic Canada, UPGC notes. In the West, a slower marketing year for red potatoes has made for more inventory at this time of year in Manitoba and British Columbia.
Processing potatoes are at 12.3 million cwt, down 23.9 per cent from the three-year average, the AAFC statistics show.
“Alberta processing stocks are cleaning up early at 57 per cent below three-year averages. Manitoba has imported potatoes over the winter to help boost their french fry stocks. After including a 65 per cent reduction from New Brunswick, the supply pipeline across the country should be fairly empty by end of season,” UPGC says.
As planting is winding down, seed inventory in the country is limited as of June 1, UPGC notes. Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec are showing seed inventories above past years though.
“Some export seed orders going into the Pacific Northwest were reduced during the early stages of contract negotiations, but nothing like a year ago when the sector was facing a seed glut due to the pandemic restrictions,” UPGC says.
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