Potatoes

2007 potato production in Maine is estimated
at 16.5 million cwt (hundredweight), eight percent below
2006 output due to reductions in both acreage and yield.
Maine farmers planted 57,100 acres, 1,400 fewer acres than
the previous year. The December 1 forecast placed 2007
acres harvested at 57,000 acres, and yields at 290 cwt per
acre. Although not matching the record high yields set in
2004 and 2006, quality going into storage was excellent.
Results from the 2007 Potato Objective Yield (POY) Survey
placed the average number of hills per acre for all potato
varieties planted in Maine at 11,519 hills per acre, down
slightly from the 11,613 hills per acre seeded in 2006. On
average, growers harvested 8.9 tubers per hill in 2007,
compared with the 9.1 tubers per hill average in 2006.
Survey results placed more potatoes in the US Number 1
category in 2007 than in earlier years for round whites.
Round white varieties graded out at 89 percent US #1,
compared with 78 percent in 2006 and the 5 year average of
81 percent. Long whites graded out at 59 percent US #1 in
2007, compared with 60 percent in 2006 and the five year
average of 69 percent. Russets graded out at 70 percent US
#1 in 2007, compared with 63 percent in 2006 and five year
average of 69 percent. Lab counts began in 2007 for yellow
varieties, which graded out at 82 percent US #1.

To view the 2008 Maine Crop Insurance Policy Fact Sheet for Potatoes,
click on the link in the blue box at left.

Potato statistics courtesy of New England Agricultural Review, a field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Agriculture.  Gary Keough, Director.   The entire document is available as a PDF file on the Internet through: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nh/agdec07.pdf

Potato Links

University of Maine Potato Integrated Pest Management
Potato Integrated Pest Management