Nov 11, 2008Idaho’s Potato Production Down 12 Percent
By William Schaefer
Idaho Editor
Potato production in Idaho is the lowest in 19 years, according to statistics released by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service on Monday, Nov. 10.
NASS predicts that total potato production in Idaho for 2008 will be 115 million cwt., down 12 percent from 2007’s production of 130 million cwt.
Nationally, NASS predicts potato production to fall 8 percent from 2007, with 918,200 acres harvested. Average yield per acre is forecasted at 407 cwt., down 2 cwt. from last year’s record yield.
NASS also estimates that the 305,000 acres planted and 304,000 acres harvested in 2008 represent the smallest number of acres planted and harvested since 1980.
Statewide yield in Idaho is 378 cwt., up 5 cwt. from 2007.
Jerry Wright, president and CEO of United Potato Growers of Idaho (UPGI), thinks the NASS numbers are right on. Wright said his organization is comfortable with the NASS predictions.
We don’t disagree with the NASS acres,” Wright said. “Our actual, physical acreage count came out at 300,266. We still believe that that is probably the right number, but there is an error range of plus or minus 3,000 acres. It makes a difference, but it’s not that big of a difference to quarrel about. We believe their numbers are accurate, for the first time in a long time, on acres and on yield, and so that gives the industry a real leg up by having actual facts that we verified also.”
According to Wright, the UPGI field digs at harvest time, taking samples out of windrows, came back with an average yield of 378 cwt.
“The 378 is higher than anyone anticipated, than our Aug. 21 digs indicated,” Wright said. “What it says is this crop caught up – we had excellent growing conditions. These growers are outstanding growers and technicians and the combination of Mother Nature and their technology brought this crop in at trend-line yields.”
Frank Muir, president and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission, said that the Idaho crop is looking good and should come in with more No. 1 potatoes than last year.
“It’s important to note that we have sufficient supplies to meet our customers’ demands,” Muir said.
He mentioned a new national advertising campaign that begins this week with Denise Austin.
“We’re very much pushing this crop,” Muir said, “It’s full speed ahead.”
Wright cited higher grain prices as having been a key factor in lowering potato production.
“It gave growers a viable alternative to potatoes. So, when growers determined that they wanted to balance their fresh potato markets they had a place to put the acres and they put them in grain,” he said.
It’s the age old story of supply and demand, according to Wright.
When the worldwide supply of grain was short, the prices went up because demand was there, and acres shifted into that area, Wright said. That gave potatoes an opportunity to have a balanced market, and for prices to go up.
Wright said UPGI is advocating that growers maintain the same planting guidelines for 2009.
“For the first time in our memories, we could say we have balanced markets and the returns growers are experiencing are a function of those balanced markets,” Wright said. “If they go back and plant 5,000 to 10,000 to 20,000 more acres, we’ll be unbalanced again and we’ll be back to sub-par returns.”
Wright said the potato industry is feeling the effects of the current economic slowdown. UPGI is planning on a 15- to 24-month recession, Wright said.
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