The state of the taters [in the Columbia Basin] is, well, pretty darn good this year, wrote Joel Martin in a news story published by the Columbia Basin Herald.
“The potato harvest is definitely a lighter crop than what we’re historically used to,” said Dale Lathim, executive director of Potato Growers of Washington. “It’s actually a little bit better than last year in terms of yield. But it’s a lot better than last year in terms of quality.”
“The weather is being kind to us in terms of the harvest, so there’s been no setbacks so far,” said Gary Roth, executive director of the Oregon Potato Commission. “The potatoes look to be of very good quality. There appears to be a minimum amount of bruising or damage. That’s always good.”
The market for potatoes has stabilized as well. “The frozen potato segment – which is the bulk of what we have here in the Columbia Basin, more than 80% of the potatoes go for frozen processing – that demand is very good,” Lathim said.
Source: Columbia Basin Herald. Read the full story here
Photo: Potatoes move down the line during the 2018 harvest season. This year’s crop of tubers is down a little bit in yield, but very good quality, say experts. Credit Columbia Basin Herald
