US: Processing crop potatoes influencing fresh market

Jerry Wright, chief executive officer of the United Potato Growers of America, has a message to potato growers going into the 2012-13 season: Proceed with caution.

Growers in Idaho, Washington and Oregon report they plan to plant almost 30,000 more acres of potatoes than last year – adding about 12 million cwt. in production, said Wright, speaking at the U.S. Potato Board’s annual meeting March 16. Overall, next year’s production will increase at least an estimated 25 million cwt. in North America.