After several years of below-average to poor harvests, things are finally looking up for Manitoba potato growers. According to projections, Manitoba’s final production numbers won’t just be good. They’re expected to be top tier.
Susan Ainsworth, general manager of the Keystone Potato Producers Association: “There have been some challenging years, so it’s nice to have a strong, good-quality crop. They were due for a good crop.”
The third-quarter report from the United Potato Growers of Canada put the province’s 2023 production at a record 28.2 million hundredweight, up 8.1 per cent from 2022. Despite consecutive years of challenges, figures showed 81,000 acres of potatoes were planted this year in Manitoba, a slight increase from the 79,500 in 2022. Harvested acres were predicted at 80,757, with yields expected to be average to above average at approximately 350 cwt. per acre.
As of Oct. 19, the potato harvest in Manitoba was 98 per cent complete, according to the year’s final potato report from Manitoba Agriculture. The report also noted that more than 800 acres of potatoes may be left in the ground because of better than projected yields.
Source: manitobacooperator.ca