Fresh-market potato growers in Washington and Oregon may not know what their 2015-16 crop will look like until they start harvesting, which should be a week or two earlier than usual, with start dates ranging from mid-July for some growers to after Labor Day for others.
Dry conditions and unusually warm—or downright hot—weather had many producers concerned. Eastern Washington was especially hard hit.
Potentially Bad
Larry Sieg, Washington sales and general manager for Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Potandon Produce LLC, which has an operation in Pasco, Wash., said he’s nervous about the recent extended period with temperatures that topped the century mark.
“That could hurt the crop,” he said. “It could radically change things.”
The first week of July, temperatures were in the 80s in western Washington and in the 90s in growing areas in Oregon.
“For us to have this many 80-degree days in June in western Washington is very unusual,” said Myron Ayers, sales manager for Norm Nelson Inc. of Burlington, Wash. He said it was too early to tell whether the heat will have an impact on yields, tonnage or packout.
The area is a major source of seed for a variety of vegetables, like spinach, cabbage and beets, which also could be affected, he said.
The company’s acreage is similar to last year, he said, and potato harvesting was expected to start Sept. 7.
In Klamath Falls, Ore, temperatures were hovering around the 100-degree mark in early July. “That’s pretty warm for us,” said Dan Chin, president of Wong Potatoes Inc.
Plants were starting to set in late June, and Chin said he did not believe they would be hurt too badly. “Our plants now are up and growing really hard,” he said.
Chin expects to start digging potatoes right after Labor Day.
The hot weather was bad news for potatoes, said Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, but he expressed confidence that growers would be able to manage their crops successfully. Hot weather is hard on the plants, he said.
“They really kind of shut down, so you’re not adding any yield to your potato plant during the day,” he said.
Growers have to water to keep the soil cool, but that can create an environment that can lead to disease pressure.
“You really have to be on your management game,” Voigt said. “Our growers are really good managers and know how to do that.”
Excessive heat can cause lower yields, misshapen tubers and defects like hollow heart if not managed properly, he said.
While Voigt was concerned about the hot weather, he said it was not too unusual. “We’ve had that in the past, and we’ve gotten through fine,” he said.
Weak Snowpack
Growers also are coping with dry conditions. “We were really weak on snowpack this past year,” Chin said.
In Washington, Voigt said, “the water supply is more than adequate” for the Columbia Basin, which gets water from British Columbia.
In the east, the Yakima Basin was “hurting,” he said. Growers were getting only 40 percent of their normal allocations. Acreage in the Yakima Basin was reduced from 3,500 to 3,000 because of the drought.
He said he was most concerned about the Skagit Valley, where some of Washington’s highest-quality red potatoes are grown. The area gets its water from the Cascade Mountains, where the snowpack is well below normal.
Growers there likely will be cut back on water, Voigt said.
Source: The Packer