Canadá: Lower loonie no help for P.E.I potato sales in US

Yet the advantages haven’t touched P.E.I potato growers who are in fact reporting that U.S. exports of P.E.I.’s 2015 crop are down about four per cent, according to the PEI Potato Board. 

"Really the potato itself is being priced the way it was in similar years, not taking advantage of that exchange rate there," said Kevin McIsaac with the United Potato Growers of Canada.

The lack of sales to the U.S. boils down to supply and demand, said the PEI Potato Board. The Island didn’t have as good a growing season last summer as other areas closer to the American market including New Brunswick and Quebec — areas that also have lower freight costs to the U.S.

"Certainly the exchange has helped. But in our business supply from the various producing areas can have a greater impact on movement into markets, and that’s what we’re seeing this year," said the Board’s general manager Greg Donald. 

Value-for-money veggie

Canadian sales of P.E.I. potatoes, the Board said, are also down about six per cent. Again, because other potato-growing areas had banner crops, they’re having more luck right now getting their products into grocery stores. 

Donald hopes as supply in other provinces starts to run out, things could start to change. 

And with imported fruits and vegetables becoming so expensive, the Board is mounting a marketing campaign profiling the potato as a cheaper, healthy, value-for-money veggie.  

On a brighter note, international exports of P.E.I. spuds, excluding the U.S., are up this year. The end result is overall sales so far are on a par with last year’s.