PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s potato growers had such a bumper crop this previous season that they stepped in to assist their huge brothers out west who had been brief on spuds.
Farmers from Maine shipped potatoes by rail for the primary time in 4 a long time this winter because of a powerful harvest within the state and warmth and dry climate that stymied farmers in famend potato-growing states like Idaho and Washington. The potatoes made their far more than 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) for processing, driving in climate-controlled rail vehicles.
All informed, 21 million kilos (9.5 million kilograms) of potatoes, just about all from growers in northern Maine, flowed by way of a rail-connected warehouse owned by LaJoie Growers LLC. That equates to greater than 530 truckloads of potatoes, mentioned co-owner Jay LaJoie.
“It’s a very good chunk of potatoes,” mentioned Don Flannery, government director of the Maine Potato Board.
Many of the Maine potatoes went to processors in Washington state, the place a lot of the french fries and different merchandise are exported. The shipments to Idaho had been seed potatoes, together with Maine’s Caribou russet, that’ll be planted this spring.
Chris Voigt from the Washington State Potato Fee mentioned processors had been grateful for the potato shipments, however they’re hopeful Maine growers’ providers aren’t required sooner or later.
The shipments got here to an early finish about two weeks in the past, occasion due to financial disruptions brought on by the warfare in Ukraine. Nevertheless it was good whereas it lasted, serving to out potato processors in western states whereas lowering an oversupply of Maine spuds.
It additionally proved the worth of rail traces for agriculture, particularly throughout a scarcity of vans within the pandemic, LaJoie mentioned.
There’s no approach growers may have sourced sufficient tractor-trailers to haul the potatoes, however there occurred to be an obtainable rail line that connects to a LaJoie-owned warehouse in Van Buren.
The scarcity of truck drivers has contributed to supply-chain issues through the pandemic.
“I don’t see transportation getting higher anytime quickly,” LaJoie mentioned.
Whereas Maine is understood for its well-known lobsters, the state was certainly as soon as the nation’s potato capital by way of World Conflict II. Different states later stepped up manufacturing within the Fifties. Idaho and Washington State are at the moment Nos. 1 and a pair of whereas Maine ranks ninth, in response to the USDA.
The bizarre scarcity of potatoes out west is a results of bizarre summer time climate.
A warmth wave with temperatures hovering above 100 levels Fahrenheit (38 levels Celsius) hit the Pacific Northwest in June, simply as potatoes had been beginning to develop. The end result was lowered yields, and decrease high quality, Voigt mentioned.
“The crops type of shut down,” he mentioned.
The acute warmth lowered yields by practically 10% for potato growers in Idaho and Washington, whereas Maine potato yields grew greater than 30% because of good climate, in response to the U.S. Division of Agriculture.
In northern Maine, the harvest was so huge that growers scrambled to search out storage. Some buildings on the former Loring Air Drive Base had been enlisted for a last-minute dwelling for the ample tubers.
Ultimately, it proved to be a profitable pilot program for rail supply that may very well be used once more if uncommon climate patterns persist, LaJoie mentioned. Plus Maine loved getting some consideration for its potato business because of the irony of David rendering assist to the potato Goliaths.
