Northwest Fresh Potato Market & Potato Conference

Northwest Fresh Potato Market & Potato Conference

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Michael Stolp, Vice President for Market Research and Development with Northwest Farm Credit Services headquartered in Spokane is here today to tell us about some of the latest market information for northwest fresh potatoes.

STOLP: Northwest fresh potato prices have improved considerably from last year. Lower U.S. and Northwest potato production is supporting the market. Fall frost negatively impacted the storability of potatoes in some areas. Anecdotal reports suggests that producers responded by moving these potatoes to market earlier than normal - prices dropped pressured by the volume and early potato shipment. Where storage issues aren’t a concern producers are delaying open market potato sales - anticipating stronger prices later in the season. Overall, potato growers are expected to earn marginal profits for their 2013 crop.

For further highlights depicting the general health of this and other select industries included in Northwest Farm Credit Services’ Knowledge Center Market Snapshots visit northwestfcs.com/resources.

A reminder to producers that the 2014 Washington Oregon Potato Conference and Trade Show is next Tuesday through Thursday at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, marking the 5th year that Washington and Oregon have teamed up to host the conference together. This is the largest regional potato conference in the country and will cover such topics as bioproducts for soil building, the future of potato breeding, improving land use efficiency in the Columbia Basin, and managing insecticide resistance in potato production.  For a complete schedule or more information visit www.potatoconference.com.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.