Seed Moving In Pac-Northwest

Despite a foot of snow on the ground and nightly temperatures dipping below freezing, eastern Idaho seed growers are using warmer day temperatures to move seed potatoes for the 2004 crop.

According to one Idaho seed grower, the orders are coming in fast and truck loads are being sent throughout Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Pre-purchase orders were slow as growers have had to wait out contracts and get commitments from buyers before planting this year's crop.

Typically, over the next three or four weeks, hundreds of trucks will be hauling the certified seed to commercial growers.

One Ashton, ID, grower said sales are slow for Russet Burbank and Ranger Russets but very good for Norkotahs. He said the sort-outs are expected to be high enough to cause a lot of seed to disappear much faster than usual.

"If the commercial market would move up some more, it would help stabilize the [seed potato] market," he said.