POTATO UPDATE–8/27/13

This report will focus on potatoes only.  According to the USDA we are down 6% in total acreage nationally and 8% in Idaho.  That alone would lead you to the conclusion that the market would be higher this year.  However, the hot weather in the west is bringing a new factor into play.  We have had a hot summer in Washington and Idaho.  Hot days and warm nights have cause plants to work to keep vines alive and not focused on growing tubers.  A good example is that Washington has had more variation in size than it has had in several years.  One field with has large potatoes the next small.  This is can be attributied to the hot weather.  We are just starting the Idaho potato program and it is a bit early to tell if our size and yields with have the same variation that  Washington has had. However, early reports on the Burbank’s is that they are behind their normal size profile and seem to be a bit rougher.  We still have about two weeks before we start to harvest the early Burbank’s, so it is too soon to panic.  The bottom line is if things continue as they are now, we will see double digit prices on cartons and lower single digits on consumers.  Expect the two market to remain high until we get into the Burbank crop. 

Tomorrow an Apple update and Onions on Thursday!

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