San Luis Valley potato crop looking good, acreage down slightly

The general consensus on the 2016 San Luis Valley potato crop is that after a cool and somewhat slow start, most of the acreage caught up, and both quality and sizing look good. Valley wide, planted and potato harvest acreage for the year is down, according to Colorado Potato Administrative Committee Executive Director Jim Ehrlich, who on Aug. 19 said last year was at 52,000 acres. “This year we’re at about 50,900,” he said, adding that normal rotation accounts for some of the decrease. “From what I’ve seen the vines are starting to die back, and the indication is that size is good,” he said. “We had our field day tour this week, and the potatoes in those controlled fields all look very good. So we’re anticipating a good crop.” The region had not experienced undue stress, Ehrlich said. More