Apr 3, 2019Washington growers four weeks behind schedule due to weather
Wet conditions and a lingering winter are causing potato planting delays around the country. In the Pacific Northwest, in particular, precise planting schedules have been thrown off, which has growers worried about harvesting on time to meet processing needs.
In Washington, planting is four weeks behind schedule, reported Anna King of marketplace.org. “I mean, this is unheard of,” Ed Schneider of Pasco, Washington, told marketplace.org.
Growers sign contracts with processors to ship whatever is available by a specific date. If potatoes don’t have enough time to mature and are smaller than normal, it’s going to hurt their bottom line.
The northwest isn’t the only potato-growing area of the country being affected by weather.
In North Carolina, growers were weeks behind schedule because of wet conditions. In addition, flooding has caused problems in the Red River Valley.
