Posts Tagged “Treasure Valley onion shipments”
Average volume for onion shipments are expected this season from the Columbia Basin, as well as from Treasure Valley, according to extension personnel at Washington State University and Oregon State University.
With total acreage virtually unchanged from a year ago, yellow onions account for about 80% of total onion acreage. Red onions now account for 15% of total Columbia Basin onion acreage, with white onions totaling about 5%.
Columbia Basin’s early onion harvest will likely start in early August, with storage onions beginning at the end of August or early September. Onions will be harvested and put in storage through September and into October.
Most of Washington’s storage onions are grown in the Columbia Basin, with the majority planted in Grant, Franklin and Adams counties.
Onion acreage in the Columbia Basin shared by Oregon and Washington totals about 25,000 acres. Onion harvest begins in the region begins in the late summer and can extend into the fall. Storage onions can be marketed from storage for up to eight months.
Storage onion acreage in the eastern part of Oregon and southwest Idaho, called the Treasure Valley region, accounts for about 20,000 to 25,000 acres.
Many onions in the Treasure Valley will be shipped to the East, while many of the Columbia Basin onions will move north and south, as well as to export markets.
Heat and drought the Northwest raises question about how potato and onion shipments may be affected this season.
Oregon potato shippers, as well as those in Washington are in wait-and-see mode following a heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest in July. It may reduce potential fall harvest yield – and ultimately shipments. Some temperatures hit 108 degress F.
The plants just shut down during the day and stop growing. It’s still too early to tell how this heat will impact the fall crop.
Oregon has a total of 38,000 acres planted in potatoes. Of this total, 17 percent is planted to fresh potatoes. The 2014 fresh volume should be comparable to last year. However, the Klamath area may be down slightly.
Far eastern Oregon/Malheur County is extremely short on water. Acres were reduced and moved to locations closer to irrigation water sources. Most of the region was out out or extremely reduced of water by the end of July.
While onion production continues in the area, Brewer said there will be no fresh potatoes moving into the pipeline. “Some land was left idle this spring to lengthen season,” he commented.
Eighty percent of Oregon’s potatoes are shipped outside the Beaver State, heavy volume going to Canada, Mexico and Korea.
Washington Potato Shipments
In Washington state, it is estimated 165,000 acres have been planted. Abouty 13-15 percent of that would go to the fresh market.
Washington state. Washington state potato growers have the highest yields in the world and historically have averaged around 60,000 pounds per acre.
Treasure Valley Onion Shipments
Treasure Valley onions in Eastern Oregon and Western Idaho started shipping about two weeks ago and now are providing some volume for produce haulers.
While acreage is up around two to three percent this season, whether that translates into more loading opportunities remains up in the air. Some shippers are facing more problems with drought than others.