Statistics Canada says poor potato harvests in Canada have resulted in a reduction in supply that has boosted prices 54.9 percent in the last 12 months.
This pushed food prices up 7.9 percent in the year to March after a 7.4 percent rise in February.
The agency says the March increase was the largest since November 1986
Another reason for the soaring prices is Canada's weak dollar and during the winter much of the country's food is imported with importers paying 20 percent this year than last spring.