The USDA NASS has provided an update on the U.S. potato crop in its weekly crop progress report (https://www.nass.usda.gov/) for last week. Here’s a sample of what the latest report showed.
Oregon – The report shows 29 percent of Oregon’s 2023 potato crop has been harvested thus far, up from 18 percent last week. The five-year average of what has been harvested by this time of year is 36 percent, so the state is still a little behind its average.
Washington – Just to the north, 22 percent of the potato crop has been harvested in Washington. That’s up from 16 percent a week ago but slightly down from the five-year average of 27 percent.
Idaho – Things are just getting rolling in Idaho with 3 percent of the 2023 crop having been harvested. That’s a modest increase of 1 percent from a week ago when it was 2 percent and half of the five-year 6 percent average.
North Dakota – The NASS report on the condition of the potato crop in North Dakota is similar to last week’s. The report shows that 11 percent of the crop is rated as very poor and another 20 percent as poor. Thirty-seven percent is rated as fair and another 28 percent as good. Four percent of the crop is rated as excellent.
Colorado – The state showed a slight increase in potatoes harvested this past week with 48 percent of the potato crop outside Colorado’s San Luis Valley having been harvested. That’s up from the 43 percent a week ago and well above the five-year average of 13 percent. The potato crop outside San Luis Valley is rated as 83 percent good, the same as the week before. Another 15 percent is rated as fair and 2 percent poor, also the same as the previous week.
Inside the San Luis Valley, 23 percent of the crop is rated as excellent and 52 percent as good. Nineteen percent is rated as fair and 6 percent as poor.
Minnesota – Minnesota comes away with another good potato crop report from last week with 25 percent rated as excellent and another 59 percent as good. Fifteen percent was rated as fair and another 1 percent as poor but none as very poor.
Fourteen percent of the crop has been harvested, up from 10 percent a week ago and about right on the five-year average of 15 percent.
Maine - Maine also had a good report for last week with 10 percent of the potato crop rated as excellent and another 60 percent rated as good. Thirty percent was rated as fair with none rated as poor or very poor.
Meanwhile, 31 percent has been harvested, up from 26 percent a week ago and well above the five-year average of 11 percent.
Alaska – No report as of today.
Wisconsin – Twenty-two percent of the potato crop has been harvested, which is right on the average for this time of year.
New York – Thirty percent has been harvested thus far, up from 16 percent from a week ago.