Total Canadian potato storage holdings as of March 1 are eight per cent below the three-year average and mark a nine-year low, the United Potato Growers of Canada say in a news release on March 9. The information is based on stock data from Statistics Canada.
In Eastern Canada, stocks are 13.8 per cent less than the three-year average, while stocks in Western Canada are very close to their three-year average, the release says.
For fresh potatoes, Canadian holdings are estimated at 8.1 million hundred weight, which is 5.8 per cent below the three-year average. The drop is led by Prince Edward Island, who was plagued by a drought during the 2020 growing season. Conditions were similar in New Brunswick, but potato stocks are above the three-year average there. Table stocks in Western Canada are up 23.8 per cent in Manitoba, and 27 per cent in British Columbia.
Processing stocks are down 9.5 per cent below the three-year average, the release notes. New Brunswick suffered the worst drop with stocks down 44 per cent. Alberta is down two million hundred weight below historical, and P.E.I. is down 9.1 per cent. In Manitoba and Quebec though french fry spud holdings are above three-year averages and in Ontario chip potato stocks are up 22.4 per cent.
Seed inventory across the country is four per cent below the three-year average at 8,360,000 cwt. All four eastern provinces have lower stocks with New Brunswick suffering the biggest drop at 37.7 per cent, the report says. B.C. seed stocks are down 25 per cent, while Alberta is up 12.4 per cent and Manitoba rose 10 per cent.
