Stock it to me

Perhaps overlooked in the frenzy of freeze coverage, the U.S. potato stocks report was released Wednesday. The USDA report appears to have had a firming effect on prices, with Idaho's burbank 50 count showing an increase from $9-9.50 per carton on Jan. 17 to $9.50 to $10 on Jan. 19.

The 13 major potato States held 220 million cwt of potatoes in storage Jan. 1, about the same as last year but 7% lower than two years ago. Potatoes in storage account for about 58% of fall production, down 1% from last year. Processing use is up.

Overall, the entire U.S. potato grower community should be thankful to Western U.S. growers in general and Idaho growers in particular, who seem to show the most market discipline during the season and the most restraint when it comes to planting time.


Here is some coverage from The Seattle Times about the freeze's impact on the apple and pear market.