Idaho potato production similar to last year with good quality and range of sizes
Idaho potato production similar to last year with good quality and range of sizes
Total potato acreage in Idaho this year for members of United Potato Growers of Idaho, which represents an estimated 85 percent of the fresh market potatoes, 70 percent of the processing potatoes and 95 percent of the seed potatoes grown in the state, is down about 19.4 percent from 2004, which is "even a lower drop than we had last year among United growers," said Jerry Wright, chief executive officer and president of United Potato Growers of Idaho.
Non-United growers have about a 7.7 percent increase, making a net decrease for the state as a whole of at least 12.4 percent, he said.
Yields are expected to be a little below average at about 362 hundredweight to the acre, but packouts are expected to be around 58 percent, which means "we will have 31 million bags [hundredweight] that will go into the fresh market," Mr. Wright said. That will be the same as the 2005 crop but less than the 34 million bags that went into the fresh market from the 2004 crop. Thirty-four million bags proved to be "more than the market could absorb," but prices for the 2005 crop were much better, and the same is expected to be true for the 2006 crop.
"We have a very balanced fresh supply, not only for Idaho but nationwide," providing that the crop is flowed into the market in an orderly fashion, he said.
The early Norkotah harvest, which started in August, was characterized by large sizes, but as the Burbank harvest got under way about mid-September, it appeared to have a balanced size structure, growers said.
"We are just really starting into the full-fledged harvest right now," Kevin Stanger of Wada Marketing Group in Idaho Falls, ID, said Wednesday, Sept. 20. "The Norkotah crop was -- no surprise -- a little larger profile." The size profile of the Burbank crop on Wada's own farms showed "a good mix ... not to big, not to small," and quality was "looking good," he said.
"We've already got a couple of cellars [of Burbanks] full," Mr. Stanger said. "We started the end of last week on Burbanks," and the harvest should be finished in another three weeks, he said.
Norkotah prices had dropped rather sharply since the start of the Norkotah harvest, Mr. Stanger said, but that was at least partly due to the preponderance of large sizes. "They just grew too big this year," he said. The industry has done "some flow control, but the problem is when you get so much size on these Norks," even if daily shipments are reduced, "you're still going to be getting more cartons than you need. ... If you've got big and you slow down, [still] all you've got is big."
The 90- and 100-count consumer market has "stayed very firm," he said. "These Norkotahs are coming in really big, very smooth and nice," said Lance Poole of Eagle Eye Distributing Inc. in Idaho Falls, ID. "It looks like a phenomenal crop."
On Burbanks, he expected "an average crop with average yields and average size." Growing conditions have been "really good," he said.
The Norkotah market had dropped from $14 a carton four weeks earlier to $7.50 as of Monday, Sept. 18, Mr. Poole said. "They should be well over $10 a box. Coming from $14, there is no reason we should have dropped below $10."
But United's Jerry Wright did not find the drop surprising. "They were at historical highs," he said. "They couldn't stay as high as they were. ... We'd love to have them a little bit higher. But for this time of the year, growers are getting a reasonable return." But soon, Burbanks would be moving into the market, and then the market should stabilize, he said.
Jamey Higham of Potandon Produce LLC in Idaho Falls concurred. "I think we may start running Burbanks probably the middle of next week [at] one of our facilities," he said Tuesday, Sept. 19. "The [Norkotah] price is a little down right now, but this time of year, during harvest, that is not unheard of. Once the potatoes are all out of the ground and into storage, then we will see what the market will bear this year."
Test digs on the Burbanks showed "sizing is kind of a mixed bag," with some areas a little smaller and others a little larger than normal, Mr. Higham said.
"We are very pleased" with the new crop, said Terry Wright of Wilcox Marketing Group in Rexburg, ID. For Wilcox's growers, he said, the Burbank crop appears to have "average to below average" size and yield, but "the quality on our particular potatoes from all our growers [is] good to excellent. The finish looks very good."
"Norkotahs have come off fine," said Mark Williams of 20/20 Produce Sales Inc. in Paul, ID. On the Burbank crop, "we kind of expect to be very similar to last year," but it is too early to know for sure, he said. From early indications, it appears to have "kind of a medium size profile."
"We only run Russet Burbank variety. We have not yet geared up. It will probably be this Thursday when we get going with the new crop," said Kevin Searle of GPOD of Idaho in Shelley, ID, on Tuesday, Sept. 19. "Our field digs show excellent quality" with no internal or external defects "that we have ascertained at this time." The yield "we think [will be] a little above average," he said. "We have had a good growing season. Weather has been conducive to growing a good crop. So we are ... excited about a high-end quality crop for this coming season. ... It has only been shovel digs that we have done to this date. You never actually know until you put the harvester into the soil. But you can get a pretty good sense."
This year's Idaho potato crop should be "a very marketable crop," he said.
(A full report on the Idaho potato deal appears in the Oct. 2 issue of The Produce News.)
Non-United growers have about a 7.7 percent increase, making a net decrease for the state as a whole of at least 12.4 percent, he said.
Yields are expected to be a little below average at about 362 hundredweight to the acre, but packouts are expected to be around 58 percent, which means "we will have 31 million bags [hundredweight] that will go into the fresh market," Mr. Wright said. That will be the same as the 2005 crop but less than the 34 million bags that went into the fresh market from the 2004 crop. Thirty-four million bags proved to be "more than the market could absorb," but prices for the 2005 crop were much better, and the same is expected to be true for the 2006 crop.
"We have a very balanced fresh supply, not only for Idaho but nationwide," providing that the crop is flowed into the market in an orderly fashion, he said.
The early Norkotah harvest, which started in August, was characterized by large sizes, but as the Burbank harvest got under way about mid-September, it appeared to have a balanced size structure, growers said.
"We are just really starting into the full-fledged harvest right now," Kevin Stanger of Wada Marketing Group in Idaho Falls, ID, said Wednesday, Sept. 20. "The Norkotah crop was -- no surprise -- a little larger profile." The size profile of the Burbank crop on Wada's own farms showed "a good mix ... not to big, not to small," and quality was "looking good," he said.
"We've already got a couple of cellars [of Burbanks] full," Mr. Stanger said. "We started the end of last week on Burbanks," and the harvest should be finished in another three weeks, he said.
Norkotah prices had dropped rather sharply since the start of the Norkotah harvest, Mr. Stanger said, but that was at least partly due to the preponderance of large sizes. "They just grew too big this year," he said. The industry has done "some flow control, but the problem is when you get so much size on these Norks," even if daily shipments are reduced, "you're still going to be getting more cartons than you need. ... If you've got big and you slow down, [still] all you've got is big."
The 90- and 100-count consumer market has "stayed very firm," he said. "These Norkotahs are coming in really big, very smooth and nice," said Lance Poole of Eagle Eye Distributing Inc. in Idaho Falls, ID. "It looks like a phenomenal crop."
On Burbanks, he expected "an average crop with average yields and average size." Growing conditions have been "really good," he said.
The Norkotah market had dropped from $14 a carton four weeks earlier to $7.50 as of Monday, Sept. 18, Mr. Poole said. "They should be well over $10 a box. Coming from $14, there is no reason we should have dropped below $10."
But United's Jerry Wright did not find the drop surprising. "They were at historical highs," he said. "They couldn't stay as high as they were. ... We'd love to have them a little bit higher. But for this time of the year, growers are getting a reasonable return." But soon, Burbanks would be moving into the market, and then the market should stabilize, he said.
Jamey Higham of Potandon Produce LLC in Idaho Falls concurred. "I think we may start running Burbanks probably the middle of next week [at] one of our facilities," he said Tuesday, Sept. 19. "The [Norkotah] price is a little down right now, but this time of year, during harvest, that is not unheard of. Once the potatoes are all out of the ground and into storage, then we will see what the market will bear this year."
Test digs on the Burbanks showed "sizing is kind of a mixed bag," with some areas a little smaller and others a little larger than normal, Mr. Higham said.
"We are very pleased" with the new crop, said Terry Wright of Wilcox Marketing Group in Rexburg, ID. For Wilcox's growers, he said, the Burbank crop appears to have "average to below average" size and yield, but "the quality on our particular potatoes from all our growers [is] good to excellent. The finish looks very good."
"Norkotahs have come off fine," said Mark Williams of 20/20 Produce Sales Inc. in Paul, ID. On the Burbank crop, "we kind of expect to be very similar to last year," but it is too early to know for sure, he said. From early indications, it appears to have "kind of a medium size profile."
"We only run Russet Burbank variety. We have not yet geared up. It will probably be this Thursday when we get going with the new crop," said Kevin Searle of GPOD of Idaho in Shelley, ID, on Tuesday, Sept. 19. "Our field digs show excellent quality" with no internal or external defects "that we have ascertained at this time." The yield "we think [will be] a little above average," he said. "We have had a good growing season. Weather has been conducive to growing a good crop. So we are ... excited about a high-end quality crop for this coming season. ... It has only been shovel digs that we have done to this date. You never actually know until you put the harvester into the soil. But you can get a pretty good sense."
This year's Idaho potato crop should be "a very marketable crop," he said.
(A full report on the Idaho potato deal appears in the Oct. 2 issue of The Produce News.)
