Red River Valley potato harvest running late in 2013

A delayed Red River Valley red potato crop was very late in revealing itself. But by Oct. 3, about 50 percent of the shipping district’s crop had been harvested, according to Ted Kreis, the marketing director of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association in East Grand Forks, MN.

The most optimistic hopes for the crop were being fulfilled, Kreis said. “The quality is looking very good. The yields vary from 120 hundredweight to 240 hundredweight per acre.

We will have less product” because of the low side of the yields, compared to the 2012 crop, “but we will make up for it with higher packout rates. We will have better quality and we will ship as many as last year.”

Kreis indicated that the valley received gentle rain over a wide region Sept. 27-28. This softened the dry soil for critical harvest dates. He said product harvested in dry soil faces dirt clumps with sharp edges that harm the spuds. More rain — with perhaps a few harmless snowflakes — was forecast for Oct. 4-5.

“A lot of damage was down to production early,” with too much rain and a late spring. Then, Kreis said, “The growing season progressed very well. July and August were very dry, which trimmed yields further. But we’re salvaging a good crop and the rain helps.”

Coleen Vincent, the sales manager of Northern Valley Growers LLC in Hoople, ND, said Oct. 3, “The potatoes in the bin now all look good. The growers told me the crop is better than they expected. Considering how the year started, we are very happy with the crop. We seem fine. We are happy with what we are putting in the bins.”

Steve Tweten, president of NoKota Packers Inc. in Buxton, ND, said Oct. 3 that NoKota’s harvesting was about 35-40 percent complete. “The quality is very nice. The tonnage is variable, which is what we expected. Overall, NoKota has average yields. For others, yields are good to below average.” An average yield, he said, is about 200 hundredweight per acre.