Highlights

1. Canadian farmers, excluding Quebec producers, reduced their 2008 area planted with potatoes by 4% from last year.
2. Saskatchewan as well as Newfoundland and Labrador recorded no change, while the remaining provinces decreased their plantings. Alberta showed the greatest decrease, down 8%. British Columbia is down 6%, Nova Scotia down 4%, while the remaining provinces are all down by 3%. The high cost of inputs, the value of the Canadian dollar, uncertainty over processing contracts and the trend towards increasing yields all contributed to this area decrease.
3. Quebec data are not comparable between 2007 and 2008 due to a revision in the list of producers. Consequently, the provincial agency is reviewing the 2007 area planted values and may incorporate revisions with the November 2008 release to account for these additional operations.
4. The 2008 area planted to fall harvest potatoes in the United States is down 8% from last year.