Canada Potato Industry: Home of McCain Foods, $3.7B in Exports, 93% Bound for the US
Canada's potato sector generates $2.1 billion in farm cash receipts and $3.7 billion in exports — and it's almost entirely dependent on one customer. 93% of Canada's fresh potato export value goes to the United States, the same market McCain Foods, the world's largest frozen-fry producer, was built to serve from its New Brunswick headquarters.
- Production (2024): ~6.5M tonnes (FAOSTAT)
- Farm cash receipts (2024): $2.1B CAD
- Export value (2024/25): $3.7B CAD (+2% YoY)
- Top producing province: Alberta (23.5%)
- Fresh export dependence on US: 92.9% of export value
- Processing share: ~69% of production
Canada produced approximately 6.5 million tonnes of potatoes in 2024 (FAOSTAT), making potato the country's 5th-largest primary agricultural crop and its single largest vegetable crop. The sector generated $2.1 billion CAD in farm cash receipts in 2024 and $3.7 billion CAD in exports in 2024/2025, up 2% year-on-year. Production splits roughly 69% to processing, 20% to fresh/table markets, and 11% to seed. Alberta (23.5%), Manitoba (21.4%), and Prince Edward Island (20.2%) lead production by tonnage, though PEI dominates fresh exports specifically. Canada's trade is almost entirely one-directional: 92.9% of fresh potato export value goes to the United States — the same market that made McCain Foods, headquartered in Florenceville, New Brunswick, the world's largest frozen French fry producer.
In this article (6 sections)▾
How big is Canada's potato industry?
Canada's potato sector is the country's 5th-largest primary agricultural crop, generating approximately $2.1 billion CAD in farm cash receipts in 2024. Potatoes account for 29% of Canadian vegetable farm cash receipts and 17% of all horticultural receipts.
- 2024 production: ~6.5M tonnes (FAOSTAT)
- Farm cash receipts: $2.1B CAD
- Share of vegetable receipts: 29%
- Total harvested area: 156,309 ha
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt | 5.21 | 5.36 | 5.29 | 6.15 | 6.28 | 6.43 | 6.51 |
| YoY | — | +3.1% | -1.4% | +16.4% | +2.0% | +2.5% | +1.3% |
Regional economic significance varies enormously: potatoes contributed nearly 35% of Prince Edward Island's total farm cash receipts and 18% of New Brunswick's, but only 5% and 2% of Manitoba's and Alberta's respectively — despite Alberta and Manitoba having higher absolute production tonnage. The crop matters existentially to PEI's economy in a way it simply doesn't for the larger prairie provinces.
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Potato Market Information Review 2024-2025.
Which Canadian provinces produce the most potatoes?
Alberta leads production at 23.5%, followed by Manitoba (21.4%) and Prince Edward Island (20.2%) — though PEI remains Canada's most iconic and export-dominant potato region.
PEI's outsized reputation relative to its 20.2% production share comes from export concentration: it accounts for 38.9% of fresh potato export value and 36.2% of export quantity, more than any other province, despite Alberta and Manitoba out-producing it by tonnage. Alberta and Manitoba's larger crops feed heavily into processing rather than fresh export.
| Province | Production (2024) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 1,364,814 t | 23.5% |
| Manitoba | 1,244,930 t | 21.4% |
| Prince Edward Island | 1,176,165 t | 20.2% |
| New Brunswick | 771,379 t | 13.3% |
| Quebec | 675,898 t | 11.6% |
| Ontario | 404,378 t | 7.0% |
Source: AAFC Potato Market Information Review 2024-2025.
Why is Canada the home of McCain Foods?
McCain Foods, the world's largest frozen French fry producer, was founded in and remains headquartered in Florenceville, New Brunswick. Cavendish Farms is the other major Canadian processor. Roughly 69% of Canadian production goes to processing.
Major processing provinces span Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario — meaning processing capacity is distributed close to where the crop is actually grown, rather than concentrated in one region. Canada's processing scale, combined with its proximity to the massive US market, is what makes it a genuine peer to the US in global frozen-fry production, not just a smaller neighbor.
Source: AAFC Potato Market Information Review 2024-2025; McCain Foods corporate information.
What potato varieties are grown in Canada?
Russet Burbank is the dominant processing variety, alongside Shepody (also processing) and table varieties including Yukon Gold — developed in Canada at the University of Guelph.
Yukon Gold's Canadian origin is a genuine point of pride: developed at the University of Guelph, its buttery yellow flesh and versatility made it one of the most-recognized specialty varieties in North America, exported far beyond Canada's own commercial acreage.
| Variety | Role |
|---|---|
| Russet Burbank | Dominant processing variety |
| Shepody | Important processing variety |
| Ranger Russet | Growing in popularity |
| Yukon Gold | Table variety; developed at University of Guelph, Canada |
| Norland | Red-skinned table variety |
| Atlantic | Chipping variety |
| Goldrush | Table variety |
Source: AAFC; University of Guelph variety-release records.
How dependent is Canada on the US potato market?
Extremely. The United States takes 92.9% of Canadian fresh potato export value ($474.7 million CAD of $510.8 million total) and 95.2% of seed potato export value. Smaller markets include Indonesia, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, and Thailand.
This concentration is a structural feature of Canada's potato trade, not a temporary imbalance — geographic proximity and integrated North American supply chains (especially for frozen processed products, which dominate exports beyond fresh) make the US the natural, overwhelming primary market. Canada also exports to Japan and Mexico, primarily in processed/frozen categories.
| Market | Fresh export value share (2024/25) |
|---|---|
| United States | 92.9% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1.8% |
| Indonesia | 1.7% |
| Dominican Republic | 0.9% |
| Thailand | 0.6% |
Source: AAFC Potato Market Information Review 2024-2025.
What challenges does Canada's potato sector face?
Five recurring constraints: a short northern growing season, near-total trade dependence on the US market, potato wart disease management (particularly in PEI), rising input costs, and intensifying competition in the global frozen-fry market.
Potato wart disease specifically has been a recurring trade-policy flashpoint for PEI, since detections have previously triggered temporary US import restrictions on PEI potatoes — a direct illustration of just how exposed Canada's potato economy is to decisions made by a single trading partner.
Source: AAFC Potato Market Information Review 2024-2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much potato does Canada produce per year?+
Canada produced approximately 6.5 million tonnes in 2024 (FAOSTAT), making it the country's 5th-largest primary agricultural crop and generating $2.1 billion CAD in farm cash receipts.
Which Canadian province produces the most potatoes?+
Alberta leads by tonnage at 23.5% of national production, followed by Manitoba (21.4%) and Prince Edward Island (20.2%). PEI, however, leads fresh potato exports specifically at 38.9% of export value.
Where is McCain Foods headquartered?+
Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada. McCain Foods is the world's largest frozen French fry producer, and roughly 69% of Canada's total potato production goes to processing.
Does Canada export most of its potatoes to the US?+
Yes — the United States takes 92.9% of Canadian fresh potato export value and 95.2% of seed potato export value, making Canada's potato trade almost entirely dependent on its southern neighbor.
What potato variety was developed in Canada?+
Yukon Gold, a buttery yellow-fleshed table variety, was developed at the University of Guelph in Ontario and has become one of the most widely recognized specialty potato varieties in North America.
Regional context
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Further reading
Deeper Potatopedia references on seed systems, processing, varieties, and global potato production.