Eagle Eye Produce had been harvesting new crop potatoes for several weeks before beginning harvest for its storage supplies the week after Labor Day. While it is still too early to know the overall projection for the crop, early indications are for high-quality spuds with smaller overall sizing and a bit lower yield, as John Groh, publisher of The Produce News reports in this news article.
Coleman Oswald, director of sales for Eagle Eye, based in Idaho Falls, ID, said this year growers started harvest around two weeks late, which put added pressure on the market since storage supplies from the previous year were all but tapped out. As a result, prices spiked amid strong demand, with 10-pound bags of russets commanding up to $12.99 at retail.
Oswald said the main culprit behind the late start was a cold and wet spring, which delayed the growing cycle. That cold and wet spring also resulted in the smaller sizing profile for this year’s Idaho potato crop, again due to the delayed growing cycle.
Source: The Produce News. Read the full story here
Photo: Credit The Produce News
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