News

Michigan potato crop up on the year

USDA is expecting Michigan potato growers to harvest a slightly larger crop despite a wet harvest.

Mike Wenkel with the Michigan Potato Industry Commission tells Brownfield USDA’s forecast is a bit below average at 370 hundredweight per acre and unchanged from last year.  “Hopefully they’re able to get all of that crop out of the ground without it bringing on traits that make it unmarketable.”

Wenkel says harvest has been delayed several weeks because of wet fields but is expected to wrap up shortly.

USDA estimates the potato crop in Michigan at 17.4 million hundredweight, up one percent from a year ago. Planted acres are up 1,000 from last year and harvested area is up 500 acres.

U.S. production of fall potatoes for 2018 is forecast four percent higher from last year with harvested area up one percent.

AUDIO: Interview with Mike Wenkel