Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) has released its landmark study on the economic impact of the potato industry in Alberta, detailing the significant growth of the provincial industry in recent years. The report is titled: The Alberta Potato Industry – Growing Success in 2022.

“We knew our industry has seen accelerated growth in recent years, but we had no way of measuring its overall impact on our economy,” said James Barmen, chair of PGA.

The report documents a total economic contribution to the economies of Alberta and Canada of $2,870,000,000 ($2.87B). It further documents job creation of 9,390 full time equivalent jobs, $662M in employment income, $1.33B contribution to GDP and $87M in tax revenue to federal and provincial governments.

“We are pleased that we now have an accurate assessment of our industry’s contribution and delighted with the result,” said Bareman. “The industry could not have grown to this scale without the good will and collaboration of all parties – the growers, processors, packers, the service sector, the scientific community and governments. PGA warmly thanks all involved for this excellent contributions to growing our industry into the largest potato sector in Canada.”

The study was completed by two reputable firms, Serecon Inc. and Nichols Applied Management. The first part of the report essentially tells the story of the scale and growth of the potato industry in Alberta. The second part explores the industry’s economic impact on the economies of Alberta and Canada as a whole. The report was designed to include rich graphic illustrations depicting the size and scale of the industry. A further set of appropriate graphics is being designed for use in school classrooms.

For more information, link here: www.albertapotatoes.ca

Source:  Potato Growers of Alberta July 4, 2023 news release