The New Brunswick 2023 crop was challenging as the growing season was plagued with excess rain and tough digging conditions.
Yields were lower than anticipated and quality suffered due to rot and a high incidence of hollow heart. Growers have been trying to keep up with issues in storage since the beginning of the storage season and ventilating piles to keep them dry. This has resulted in very high shrink and issues with because of the quality issues, lower than average payables at the processors.
Contrary to the last two previous years — where eastern potatoes were moving west — this year, processors are bringing potatoes from the west to make up for the shortage of raw in the east and the lower-than-average quality of the local crop.
Table and seed potatoes are keeping better than the processing crop mainly because they are stored at a lower temperature. Prices for the product have kept at acceptable levels for the packers even if demand is average. Movement of table is slower than average mainly due to the product supply being tight. On the seed side, supply of certain varieties will be very scarce.
As we get closer to planting, growers are keeping a close eye on the increasing costs of inputs, fuel, labour, materials, equipment and borrowing as these costs are still increasing. These factors will likely lead to growers only planting the acres that are under contract. We estimate that New Brunswick will plant the same acres as in 2023.
Statistics Canada 2023 – Area, production and farm value of potatoes (NB)
Seeded area, potatoes – 52,815acres
Harvested area, potatoes – 50,515 acres
Average yield, potatoes – 294.5 Hundredweight per harvested acres
Production, potatoes (x 1,000) -14,879
