Norteamérica: North American potato acreage expected to plummet
The potato acreage in Canada and the United States could take a dramatic hit in 2020.
Potato production may drop by 25 to 30 percent because of closed restaurants, a sharp decline in french fry consumption and the economic fallout from COVID-19, writes Robert Arnason in the Western Producer.
“I would say across North America … the processors are going to ask us to seed between 70 and 75 percent (of normal),” said Terence Hochstein, executive director of Potato Growers of Alberta. “Some (regions) are more and some are less.”
According to potatonewstoday.com¸ the potential acreage cuts are for process potatoes, which are used to make french fries and other frozen potato products. Process potatoes represent the bulk of potato acres in Canada and the United States.
Tens of thousands of restaurants are now closed in North America because of the risk of spreading the coronavirus. As a result, Canadians and Americans are eating fewer french fries than usual.
“It doesn’t take a great scientist to figure it out. Once the sit-down portions of restaurants closed … then all you have left is drive thrus to (sell) french fries,” said Kevin MacIsaac, general manager of United Potato Growers of Canada.
The immediate consequence is that potato processing plants operated by McCain Foods, Cavendish Farms and J.R. Simplot have cut production of french fries, hash browns and frozen potato products.
Fuente: https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9207398/north-american-potato-acreage-expected-to-plummet/
