Washington potato acreage lowest in years
Washington Ag Today July 13, 2009 Just a couple of days before the first official government estimate of potato acreage, Washington State Potato Commission Chairman Bob Halvorson Jr., guessed that planted spud acres in the state could be the lowest in years. He was right. On Friday the Washington Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated producers planted 145-thousand acres of potatoes, down six percent from 2008 and the smallest planted acreage in the state since 1992.
A slow world economy reduced demand for potato products and a dispute with Mexico has led to heavy tariffs on frozen U.S. French fries. Halvorson says that’s reduced processor needs.
Halvorson: “That contract contraction was a big part of it. But I think the biggest part is the work that United Fresh convincing guys not to go out and plant those open circles of Burbanks. Going around and trying to pick up Norkota seed. Most of the packers have been willing to participate because they realize it has been quite helpful having United Fresh keeping a manageable supply of fresh potatoes in the marketplace.”
Idaho potato growers increased their acreage over last year by five percent.
Nationally, fall potato acreage was up slightly from 2008 at 933-thousand acres.
The Statistics Service’s first estimate of spring wheat yields in Washington is 47 bushels an acre, up from 42 last year. Barley is pegged at 60. Winter wheat yields as of July 1st are unchanged from a month ago at 60 bushels.
I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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