Potato farmers pleased by above-average harvest

Favorable weather offsets late start to growing season; prices trend higher

Mateusz Perkowski
Capital Press
October 23, 2008

Potato farmers in the Klamath Basin managed to recover from a late start to spring: Quality is high and yields appear average to above average this harvest season.

"We've been very fortunate that the weather cooperated," said Ed Staunton, a farmer and member of the Cal-Ore Produce cooperative, during a recent agricultural tour of the basin.

The long winter delayed most crops in the region, including potatoes and onions, but the belated spring and summer offered a reprieve.

"Once it broke and turned nice, there was lots of sunshine," said Marshall Staunton, Ed's brother and fellow farmer.

Yields for potatoes were at about 550 to 600 sacks of 100-pounds per acre, up from the average 475 to 500 sacks per acre, said Ed Staunton.

A 50,000 acre reduction in Idaho potato acreage contributed to a strong market as well: At $30 per sack, prices are well above the typical high of $20 per sack, he said.

Overall U.S. potato acreage is 8 percent lower than last year, with acreage down in Idaho, Texas and California but up substantially in Colorado, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service.

Due to supply shortages, prices per sack reached $50 in August, Ed Staunton said. "It's very seldom been that high."

There's also a possibility that prices will again rise during the winter, he said.

"The acreage reductions in Idaho are higher than normal and in other areas yields are not great," he said.

As for the onions grown in the region - which are contracted and dehydrated by processors - yields were in line with the average of 525 to 540 sacks per acre, said Marshall Staunton.

At $6.50 to $7.25 per sack, prices were up 22 percent from 2007, but because fuel and fertilizer costs grew at a faster clip, the margins will probably be comparable to last year's, he said.