According to this week’s figures from the USDA NASS, potato growers are continuing to make excellent progress in planting as many states are nearly done and nearly the entire country is 50 percent or more completed.
We are highlighting the top 10 potato producing states for this report. This is for the week ending May 20.
Idaho – Statistics show that 83 percent of the crop has been planted, up from 70 percent the week before. Last year at this time that percentage was 94 percent. The five-year average is 89 percent planted by this time of year. Of those potatoes already planted, 33 percent have emerged.
Washington – 95 percent of the potato crop has been planted as of the end of last week, up from 80 percent the week before. Last year at that time 94 percent of the crop had been planted. 45 percent of the crop has emerged.
North Dakota – Growers in North Dakota made huge gains last week with 60 percent of the potato crop in compared to 20 percent last week. That is well ahead of last year’s 11 percent and ahead of the average of 54 percent at this time of year.
Wisconsin – It’s reported that 83 percent of the potato crop is in, which is a four days ahead of where growers were last year and one day ahead of the average.
Maine - The NASS shows 61 percent of the Maine’s potato crop is planted compared to last week when it was 21 percent. Last year at this time 32 percent had been planted with the five-year average at 34 percent.
Colorado – The NASS breaks out potato planting in Colorado into two categories: inside the San Luis Valley and outside the San Luis Valley. In the San Luis Valley, 81 percent of the crop has been planted, up from 58 percent the week before. A year ago at this time 88 percent had been planted. The five-year average for this time of year is 88 percent. Outside the San Luis Valley, 59 percent of the crop has been planted, up from 46 percent the week before. A year ago it was at 68 percent with the five-year average being 82 percent. Of the potatoes planted outside the San Luis Valley, 30 percent have emerged.
Michigan – No report.
Oregon – 95 percent of Oregon’s potatoes have been planted, up from 88 percent the week before. That’s very close to the 94 percent that had been planted at this time a year ago.
Minnesota – 56 percent of the crop has been planted, up from 40 percent the week before. Last year that percentage stood at 54 with the five-year average at 74 percent.
California – No report