The Executive Director of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association based in Antigo says it has been a good weather year for the potato crop and prices are stable.
Tamas Houlihan says the crop had a good weather year...
"....the last couple of years we've had unusual springs where it was either too cold or too wet This year most of the crop got in the ground on time We had plenty of moisture throughout the growing season. We didn't have too many hot days which can stunt the growth of potatoes. We had some nice cool nights..."
Houlihan says farmers report they have a great crop, but with all the recent rains they're having some problems harvesting. Houlihan said last year was a bumper crop, while this year is what he terms a "normal"crop. Houlihan says overall the production is expected to be down slightly..
"...that's going to lead to very similar pricing that we've seen. Wisconsin consistently leads the nation in what we call 'return to grower'. That's the price our growers get for their potatoes. It probably averages $13 per hundredweight..."
Houlihan says Wisconsin consistently leads the nation in what is known as "return to grower" or the prices the grower gets.
