Potatoes and Prince Edward Island
Long description
Potatoes and PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
ECONOMIC IMPACT to PEI $1.35B
Contribution to GDP $527M
25% of TOTAL CANADIAN ACREAGE
EMPLOYMENT
12% of PEI workforce
5,016 full-time equivalent jobs
$240M in wages
Production BY VOLUME
60% processing manufactured… fries, chips, etc.
25% fresh or table… sold to retail, food service sectors
15% seed potatoes… grown with high quality & health standards to yield future crops
Yesterday
1790 - First potatoes were grown on the Island
- PEI’s red, iron-rich soil, along with warm summers, cold winters, and adequate rainfall results in high potato quality.
Today
The potato sector in PEI includes a mix of largescale farms and small family-owned businesses, contributing to a diverse and resilient industry.
180 growers in PEI
- Island farmers grow around 100 different varieties of potatoes.
Tomorrow
The PEI potato industry continues to innovate and develop projects such as:
- integrated sensors that provide real-time tractor and cloudbased data for remote monitoring
- a process to create planters that offer higher speed and accuracy
- technology to minimize bruising from the equipment that fills potato storage tanks prior to packing.