Canada: Manitoba Potato Harvest About 20–25% Complete by Mid-September, No Late Blight Reported
Key takeaways
- 20–25% of Manitoba's potato harvest done by mid-September
- 15–40% done on advanced farms, while others had not started
- 815 potato heat units or more accumulated in most areas
- 0 late blight cases reported in the province so far
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Growers should avoid lifting in the heat of the afternoon and on saturated soils to limit field heat and rot risk going into storage.
- For processors
- Processors sourcing from Manitoba should plan intake flexibly: harvest progress ranges from zero to 40% between farms.
60-second summary
Manitoba growers had dug roughly a fifth to a quarter of their potatoes by 17 September, the province's weekly crop report says. Some farms were still waiting to start and others were close to halfway, so progress is uneven. The good news is disease: late blight has not been found anywhere in the province this year. The week before brought little rain, between about 4 and 12 millimetres depending on the station, with warm afternoons near 29°C and nights close to freezing, and heat-unit totals mostly above 815. Showers expected for 18 to 20 September threatened to slow lifting. The report is a single official source and says nothing about storage or tuber quality. For processors relying on Manitoba supply, the next weeks of weather will decide how much of the crop is harvested in good condition before frost. Yield estimates have not yet been published.
Manitoba’s potato harvest was about 20–25% complete by mid-September, according to the provincial government’s weekly potato report dated 17 September 2026.
Progress varied widely between farms, from “yet to start” to 15–40% completed, Manitoba Agriculture said. No late blight had been reported in the province so far this season.
Rainfall between 8 and 13 September ranged from about 4.4 mm at Carman, St. Claude and Treherne to around 12 mm at Wawanesa and Glenboro. Daytime highs reached 27–29°C, while overnight lows ranged from 0°C to 5.9°C. Cumulative potato heat units (P-Days) were generally around 815 and above.
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The report warned that scattered rain was forecast for 18–20 September, which could interrupt harvesting.
The report covers field progress, weather and disease only; it gives no data on tuber quality, storage intake or yields.
Manitoba is one of Canada’s main potato-processing provinces. Nationally, the United Potato Growers of Canada projected in late August a crop of 125–126 million hundredweight, and warned that heavy rain in Manitoba and Alberta was raising concerns about storage, according to Spud Smart. That projection predates the report and is given here only as background.
potatoes.news has reported on the two-track Canadian season, with recovery in Prince Edward Island and new processing capacity elsewhere (read more).
The provincial report is a single official source, and it is not independently confirmed. It is, however, the standard weekly reference used by the sector in Manitoba.
Manitoba Agriculture publishes the potato report weekly during the season, so the next edition should show whether the forecast showers slowed digging and how far the gap between early and late farms has narrowed. With overnight lows already close to 0°C, the remaining harvest window before hard frost is a practical concern for farms that have not yet started.
Why it matters
How much of the crop is lifted before rain and frost, and in what condition it goes into storage, will decide supply for processors through winter. A quarter of the harvest done by mid-September, with rain in the forecast and no late blight so far, leaves the outcome open.
Photo: Potato harvest and sorting in Declo, Idaho, USA, not Manitoba (illustrative). Kirsten Strough, USDA / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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What next
Scattered rain was forecast for 18–20 September, which could interrupt harvesting; the next weekly report will show progress.
Sources
- Manitoba Agriculture, Potato Report 17 Sep 2026 — https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/seasonal-reports/pubs/potato-report-2026-09-17.pdf
- Spud Smart (background, 31 Aug) — https://spudsmart.com/september-market-update-canadas-potato-crop-holds-steady-as-growers-enter-a-high-stakes-harvest/
- ONE SOURCE within the reporting window.
Linked in this material
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- Canada
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- AmericaHarvestingNews
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