Washington Potato Harvest Pt 1

Washington Potato Harvest Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. After a couple of years of varied challenges, thanks to the pandemic and unusual weather, Washington potato harvest is underway with early varieties, albeit a little bit behind schedule.

Washington Potato Commission’s Matthew Blua says there’s always challenges, but the growers do what needs to be done …

BLUA … “It started a little late because of the cool spring we had. And we didn’t get the size that we normally would get this time of year. But, because the processors needed them, they went ahead and harvest anyway. And, fortunately, our growers won’t get penalized for that.”

And as farmers know, Blua says, it’s always something …

BLUA … “You know, every year is just a little bit different. You know, last year we had that heat dome. This year we had a cool spring. Right now, our long-term storage crop is looking really good. Of course, there’s a lot of season left to go before we harvest and things can happen. But we’re hopeful for a very good harvest this season.”

But for those worried about getting their potatoes this year, Blua says you’ll be fine…

BLUA … “Yes, things are looking pretty good. I was told by several growers that they thought the early potatoes were like 10-to-14 days behind where they should have been,

but the late crop will certainly catch up.”

Roughly 90% of Washington potatoes are processed.

Tune in tomorrow for more on this year’s potato crop and the farmers who grow them.

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