Northwest potato shipments are predicted to be down this year, primarily due to drought.
Production for Idaho, the state with the biggest production, is forecast at 130 million cwt. That’s a two percent drop from the previous season’s production. Likewise, production for Washington potato shipments are forecast at 100 million cwt, which is only a one percent decline from last year. Oregon potato shipments are forecast at 21.8 million cwt, which is a three percent drop. Production for the Northwest region is forecast at 252 million cwt.
While harvested area remained static or grew this year for the top-three producing states, lower yields contributed to lighter production. Washington, with 4,000 more acres harvested in 2015 than in 2014, had yields that were 13 cwt per acre lower. Likewise, Washington, with 5,000 more acres, had yields that were 25 cwt per acre lighter. Though harvested acreage remained unchanged in Oregon, yields were down 20 cwt per acre from 2014.
Some potatoes are not storing as well as others and Norkotahs are believed to be the most affected by last summer’s heat. Additionally, Burbanks can get misshapen tubers and can get too large, as a result of the heat. Hopefully, there will be good storage management to ensure trucker’s will be hauling and delivering good-quality product available through the storage season.
Washington’s Columbia Basin potatoes and onions – grossing about $5900 to Atlanta.
Twin Falls, Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5500 to New York City.