Idaho potato harvest gets underway on early Norkotahs
Idaho potato harvest gets underway on early Norkotahs
The eagerly awaited start of the 2008 Idaho potato harvest has finally arrived, according to Frank Muir, president of the Idaho Potato Commission.
The eagerness is due to two factors. First, shippers went through the 2007 crop faster than anticipated, so there is not much product in the marketplace. Added to that is the fact that the crop, delayed by cool, wet weather in the early spring, is running a little later than normal.
Some growers began harvesting early Norkotahs for the fresh market the week of Aug. 18.
"We don't know a lot about the harvest yet, other than the size of the acreage," said Mr. Muir. "That is going to be down, according to the [U.S. Deprtment of Agriculture]. We have a little bit of mixed reports, but overall, what I am hearing is we have had very favorable growing conditions, and the spuds should have good size and good appearance."
It is, however, "a little later than expected," added Mr. Muir. "I think there is some anxiousness to get into this crop ... because we are moving out of the old harvest quicker, which is a good thing. We moved last year's crop, and everybody is anxious to get into this year's harvest."
Last year, Idaho potato growers "had our challenges ... as everybody knows," due to the extreme heat the state experienced during the growing season, said Mr. Muir, who added that he expects above-average yields and quality this year. "We really didn't have the extreme conditions this year, so we think we will have a favorable yield that will benefit us, as well as a good size profile."
Growers "aren't complaining," he added, and "that usually means they are happy."
"The harvest has been delayed two to three weeks due to the wet, cold spring that we experienced, although once we got through the wet, cold spring, the growing conditions have been ideal," said Dick Thomas, vice president of sales at Potandon Produce. "Quality looks excellent at this point, with good size," but "we just have not caught up enough" for the harvest to come on time.
"We are having some volume coming out of the state now," Mr. Thomas said Aug. 19. A few packingsheds had already started running Norkotahs, and more would begin running the week of Aug. 25. "I think you will see most houses running by the Tuesday after Labor Day.
The pipeline "has been pretty empty," he said, "and we expect to have a good market for the balance of this marketing year."
"None of my growers have started yet," Alan Taylor, president of Taylor Produce in Rigby, ID, told The Produce News Aug. 19. "I am not going to start until a week from today. We will start on Norkotahs."
Based on preliminary diggings, the potatoes "are going to be very, very nice" with "fair size" and "exceptional" quality, he said.
The eagerness is due to two factors. First, shippers went through the 2007 crop faster than anticipated, so there is not much product in the marketplace. Added to that is the fact that the crop, delayed by cool, wet weather in the early spring, is running a little later than normal.
Some growers began harvesting early Norkotahs for the fresh market the week of Aug. 18.
"We don't know a lot about the harvest yet, other than the size of the acreage," said Mr. Muir. "That is going to be down, according to the [U.S. Deprtment of Agriculture]. We have a little bit of mixed reports, but overall, what I am hearing is we have had very favorable growing conditions, and the spuds should have good size and good appearance."
It is, however, "a little later than expected," added Mr. Muir. "I think there is some anxiousness to get into this crop ... because we are moving out of the old harvest quicker, which is a good thing. We moved last year's crop, and everybody is anxious to get into this year's harvest."
Last year, Idaho potato growers "had our challenges ... as everybody knows," due to the extreme heat the state experienced during the growing season, said Mr. Muir, who added that he expects above-average yields and quality this year. "We really didn't have the extreme conditions this year, so we think we will have a favorable yield that will benefit us, as well as a good size profile."
Growers "aren't complaining," he added, and "that usually means they are happy."
"The harvest has been delayed two to three weeks due to the wet, cold spring that we experienced, although once we got through the wet, cold spring, the growing conditions have been ideal," said Dick Thomas, vice president of sales at Potandon Produce. "Quality looks excellent at this point, with good size," but "we just have not caught up enough" for the harvest to come on time.
"We are having some volume coming out of the state now," Mr. Thomas said Aug. 19. A few packingsheds had already started running Norkotahs, and more would begin running the week of Aug. 25. "I think you will see most houses running by the Tuesday after Labor Day.
The pipeline "has been pretty empty," he said, "and we expect to have a good market for the balance of this marketing year."
"None of my growers have started yet," Alan Taylor, president of Taylor Produce in Rigby, ID, told The Produce News Aug. 19. "I am not going to start until a week from today. We will start on Norkotahs."
Based on preliminary diggings, the potatoes "are going to be very, very nice" with "fair size" and "exceptional" quality, he said.
