As the new year rang in, Plant City, FL's Wishnatzki Inc. was readying for a deluge of strawberries. Company President Gary Wishnatzki told The Produce News Dec. 29 that the company was about to enter its heaviest production of the season for a two-week period that would run through the middle of January.

Wahluke Produce Inc., headquartered in Mattawa, WA, grows conventional russet Norkotahs for the fresh market. Sales Manager Scott Nesbit said that the company's early season crops were somewhat affected by cool, wet weather in the Pacific Northwest this season. "But our later planted fields did really well," he told The Produce News Jan. 4. He expects potato volume for the 2010-11 season will be down approximately 14 percent when compared to last season.

NoKota Packers Inc., based in Buxton, ND, is ahead of its five-year average in packing its red storage potatoes, company president Steve Tweten said Dec. 28.

"We are doing real well" in moving the 2010 crop, he said. Despite strong early movement, “We always ship into the spring. We still plan to take care of our customers.”

NoKota will ship into either April or May, depending upon demand.

“Quality is looking good,” he said. “We still have a lot of good potatoes.”

While Red River Valley red potato growers have enjoyed "fairly strong markets for the last few years, there have been struggles producing what you would call a normal to large crop," according to Randy Boushey, general manager of A&L Potato Co., located in E. Grand Forks, MN.

In mid-January, Peatland Reds Inc., located in Trail, MN, will be "cranking up" its red potato packing operation again. The company took a break from packing in December to install a new “Odenberg” automated grader. It was a good time to take a break, too, noted Dennis Magnell, the firm's manager and a partner, because prices were expected to rise and it was difficult to find truck transportation in December.