In the 2018-19 crop year, Canada exported about $38 million worth of seed potatoes. Almost all of the seed potatoes went to the United States, with a tiny share going to Uruguay and other nations, Statistics Canada says.
Robert Arnason reports in The Western Producer that those exports are now in jeopardy because COVID-19 has drastically cut into consumption of french fries. Potato growers across North America will plant fewer acres of spuds this spring, which means a severe reduction in sales for seed potato growers.