b'Session Spotlight Potato Markets OverviewBY: ASHLEY ROBINSONTO KICK OFF the Canadian Spud Congress, we will bemillion annual market. Since then, potato growers in P.E.I. having Cedric Porter, Dale Lathim and Kevin MacIsaac givehave seen fresh and seed sales dry up leaving piles of you an update on what is happening in the world of potatounsellable potatoes on the Island.markets. The last year has been one of highs and lows, and as you listen to the Potato Markets Overview session, hereRising Production Costsare a few events to keep in mind. Agricultural production costs are on the rise across commodities. Drought in the West Variable potato production Western Canada experiencedcosts, led by sky high fertilizer record heat with little precipitationprices, have increased by 30 to throughout the growing season.35 per cent over the past two Statistics Canada pegged theyears. Potatoes require higher drought conditions in Westerninput costs to grow them making Canada as equivalent to orprofits harder to come by when lower than the drought in 2002production costs increase but for the southwestern corner ofprices for potatoes dont also.Saskatchewan and southern Alberta. Potato crops without irrigation withered under the heatRecord your notes from the Potato Markets Overview and those with irrigation, saw reservoirs dry up session here. throughout the summer.Record National ProductionCanadian potato growers produced a record potato crop for the 2021 season. According to Statistics Canada, 123.1 millionPotato cwt of potatoes were producedproduction was in 2021, up 18.2 per cent fromup 18.2% in the previous year. The bulk of that production came from2021 from the P.E.I. at 23.2 per cent, due to anprevious yearideal growing season. Alberta followed P.E.I. at 20 per cent and Manitoba at 19.6 per cent. Nationally, the potato average yield increased to 322.2 hundredweight per acre in 2021, up 10.1 per cent from the previous year.Potato Wart WoesOn Nov. 21, 2021, the Canadian government made a Ministerial Order to suspend the export of all Prince Edward Island potatoes to the United States. This was following the discovery of Synchytrium endobioticum, the soil-borne fungus which causes potato wart, in two fields in P.E.I. in October. This locked P.E.I. potato growers out of a $120 20CANADIANSPUDCONGRESS.CA March 22 & 23, 2022#spudcon'