By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Potatoes expected to be available despite poor harvest

Dec 7, 2018 | 12:36 PM

TABER – The executive director of the Potato Growers of Alberta isn’t as concerned as some about the possibility of a potato shortage due to a poor harvest.

The final harvest update from the United Potato Growers of Canada said producers in many regions were forced to leave large portions of their crop in the ground. That includes 6,800 acres in Prince Edward Island, 500-1,500 acres in New Brunswick, nearly 2,000 acres in Quebec, and 5,200 acres in Manitoba.

In Alberta, the amount of crop abandoned was around 500 acres. A cold snap affected colour as well. But Terence Hochstein said it’s too soon to tell what impact it will have.

“Every growing area across Canada had some issues this year. Alberta was certainly included in that – no more than normal,” he said. “A cold, damp harvest, extended cold period, but we did come out quite a bit better than every other area of the country.”

Eighty per cent of Alberta’s output is processed into products like French fries and hash browns. Hochstein said most of the abandoned crop was potatoes destined for processing.

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But the key, he explained, is the integration of the North American potato industry.

“When one area is short of product, they just pull from another area,” he said. “If we’re short here, we pull out of Manitoba, we pull out of the U.S. That’s the same way across the country.”

He added he’s not aware of any retail shortages at the moment.