06/24/05 Potato grower coops report acreage cuts

06/24/05 Potato grower coops report acreage cuts

Farm and Ranch June 24, 2005 The Washington & Oregon United Potato Growers Cooperative recently reported that its members have reduced acreage by nearly six-thousand acres in 2005/2006, which it says is one of the biggest documented cuts from a percentage standpoint in the U.S. Tony Amstad, a board member from Oregon says they are proud of the members' efforts so far in Washington and Oregon to work together to begin to stabilize the marketplace. In other areas of the U.S., United Fresh Potato Growers of Idaho reported that its members have planted 26-thousand fewer acres to potatoes than they did in 2004. In Colorado the coop is expecting a nine percent reduction. Oregon growers in the Klamath Basin are estimating that they have reduced their planted area by 10 percent. Overall it is forecasted that the United Potato Growers of America and affiliate coops across the U.S. will have cut nearly 46-thousand acres by the end of 2005. However, United Potato Growers of America cautions the industry that the reported cuts do not include the dynamics of the frozen processing sector, which is forecasted to be up slightly this year. Even if processing potato production increases slightly across the U.S. in 2005, U.S. potato industry experts are predicting that the net effect of the United Potato Growers of America coops' decrease in potato production will tighten fresh potato supplies during the 2005/2006 marketing year. United's efforts in the U.S. are also being recognized in Canada where a 24-thousand acre reduction by growers is projected. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today. Good health tomorrow. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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