P.E.I. growing one quarter of Canada's potatoes

P.E.I. farmers planted slightly fewer potatoes in 2017, but it was still enough to comfortably be the country's largest potato growers.

A report from Statistics Canada this week shows Island farmers put 35,600 hectares of potatoes in the ground this spring, one quarter of the 139,600 hectares planted in Canada.

The second biggest grower was Manitoba, with 26,100 hectares in the ground.

P.E.I. potato production has been declining for years, having peaked in 1999 at 45,700 hectares, but it has remained Canada's top producer. Manitoba came close to knocking the Island off the top spot in 2003, planting 41,600 hectares to the Island's 42,900.

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