Red River Valley spuds hit hard by rain, hail

Rain and hail have put a serious dent in the 2016 Red River Valley potato crop. Red volumes from valley growers in North Dakota and Minnesota could be down 25 to 30% this season, said Ted Kreis, marketing and communications director of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, East Grand Forks, Minn. Mother Nature’s to blame, Kreis said. “Mainly it’s been too much water. It started in some areas in June and just kind of never quit.” Paul Dolan, president of Associated Potato Growers Inc., Grand Forks, N.D., said the damage is unprecedented in his experience. “I’ve never seen losses like what’s out there right now.” More