Canadian prices continue to rise sharply on Yukon Gold potatoes from Ontario and Quebec. “They are astronomical. The Yukon Golds are few and far between and the prices are higher than I’ve seen in a few years,” says Richard Donsky of Mister Produce.
Donsky says the trend of these prices rising every summer is not necessarily new. “In the last years it’s not been happening so much because of COVID and then the issue in 2021-2022 of PEI potatoes not going to the U.S. So it was a false sense of supply for Canada and now we’re back to normal, maybe even a bit beyond normal,” says Donsky.
Yukon Gold prices have slowly crept up and in the last few weeks, they have hit over $40. Donsky notes that signs in the processing market also point in the same direction given a recent price increase on French Fries. “If I go to the processing market on a commodity and see that those prices are also up, it tells me that contracts are out the window and that there’s a real shortage,” he says.
Other factors
Is a shortage the only issue? That’s not yet been determined. “It could be that it’s a factor of inflation,” he says. “It used to be that around this time of year, you’d buy boxed potatoes from California for $50 because there wasn’t anything around.” It could also be that Canadian shippers are sending more product to the U.S. where they are getting not only U.S. dollars, but shippers are also picking them up directly from Canadian farms. This saves growers from having to coordinate logistics while at the same time keep up with Canadian demand for potatoes.
As for demand, Donsky doesn’t anticipate it impacting that. If anything, consumers may shift to another potato variety. “However looking ahead, it’s not going to get better until the fall. Summer will be challenging,” he says.
For more information:
Richard Donsky
Mister Produce
Tel: +1 (416) 252-9191 ext 10
[email protected]
https://www.misterproduce.com/