After drought hit P.E.I. potatoes, Iran war adds new pressures before planting

Prince Edward Island’s potato production (Maria Sarrouh/CTV News).

At Guy Cudmore’s seed potato farm, the grading line is carrying signs of last year’s drought.

Workers are sorting out defects and keeping the good potatoes moving, but there are fewer spuds to handle this spring after Cudmore says his crop fell by about 30 per cent. One variety, Caribou Russet, is also slowing the work because of rot he believes may be tied to the dry conditions.

“It’s certainly going to hurt the bottom line,” Cudmore said.

Statistics Canada says Prince Edward Island’s potato production fell 15.9 per cent in 2025 to 21.8 million hundredweight, the largest provincial drop in the country. Now, with planting season nearing, farmers are working through the lingering effects of drought-driven losses and higher costs tied to the Iran war.

“It’s certainly a bad political climate right now,” Cudmore said. “More uncertainty than at any other time.”

He added that insurance can help farmers get through tough times, but every season brings different challenges. This year, fuel needed to run tractors is more expensive. Fertilizer prices are also rising. While some suppliers purchased product for this season before the conflict began, he said the next bill will likely be bigger for farmers.

“Farmers are just going to have to suck it up,” he said, adding he doesn’t plan to scale back.

Cudmore said he’ll plant all 200 acres to make sure customers aren’t cut out and that he doesn’t lose them.

Greg Donaldson, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, said losses were felt at farms across the Island after a hot, dry and windy summer.

However, a smaller crop in the province didn’t bring higher prices. While local supply was down, it stayed strong across North America.

“That put downward pressure on the market.”

Climate change remains a top concern, and Donaldson says farmers have spent years improving soil health, boosting the land’s water-holding capacity, rotating crops and trying more drought-resistant varieties. And now, they’re looking at adding protections.

“After last summer, there’s been a lot more interest in looking at supplemental irrigation, so long as it can be done responsibly.”

Donaldson said growers are also revisiting fertility plans and other expenses as they prepare for the new season. Still, spring tends to bring a shift in mindset.

“For most, it’s like a new chapter,” he said. “Hopefully, Mother Nature will be more cooperative this summer.”

And back at Cudmore’s farm, the grower is heading into it with caution and confidence.

“There’s anxiety because of what’s going on,” he said. “But there is optimism about going and putting your seeds in the ground… we have to have hope.”