A portion of Idaho’s potato fields were hit by a third hailstorm in as many weeks on the Fourth of July, and growers are still assessing the estimated 25,000 acres affected.
“We’ve had three hailstorms in all,” said Jerry Wright, president of the United Potato Growers of Idaho, Idaho Falls.
Wright said damage from a June 21 — Father’s Day — storm was estimated at 25,250 acres of potatoes, about 10,000 acres in which crops were damaged seriously.
“By seriously, we mean at least 50% of the plant was defoliated or seriously damaged,” Wright said. “There was another 6,000 acres that had about 15%-45% damage. Another 6,000 acres were basically unaffected.”
In 2008, a total of 300,266 acres of potatoes for the fresh market and processors were harvested in Idaho. Total acreage for 2009 was scheduled to be released on July 8.
Wright said the Father’s Day storm started near the Raft River and tracked through American Falls and the Fort Hall reservation before hitting the Blackfoot area.
“That’s where most of the damage was done,” Wright said.
Wright said a second hailstorm clipped the towns of Hamer and Osgood, just north of Idaho Falls, on June 26. The Fourth of July storm hit some fields in Arco, west of Idaho Falls, as well as the Fort Hall reservation.
Wright said it was way too early to assess the damage of the most recent storms and might still be premature to predict the eventual outcome of the storm on Father’s Day.
“No one can assess damage on yield until the crop gets a little bigger,” he said. “We’ll do digs Aug. 1 and another Aug. 20 to assess the extent of the damage.”
Harvest for potatoes in Idaho typically takes place from Sept. 15 to the end of October.
Growers in the hit region agreed it would still take some time before fully knowing how the overall crop is affected and how it might, in turn, affect the overall potato market.
“There’ve been a wide range of reports on how the hail’s affected everything,” said Dick Thomas, vice president for Idaho Falls-based Potandon Produce LLC, which markets Green Giant Fresh potatoes. “It remains to be seen how badly the crops were affected. But I think when all is said and done, Idaho will have a marketable crop of potatoes next year.”
Kevin Stanger, vice president of sales and marketing for Wada Farms Marketing Group, Idaho Falls, said he didn’t foresee major shifts in the potato market because of the storms.
“There’s going to be some sort of outcome, obviously,” Stanger said. “I’ve heard there’s some thought of discing some fields totally under.
“It’s going to have some effect. Will it drive the market crazy? No, I doubt that will happen. But, it’s a little too early to tell yet.”
Wright said Idaho just experienced its wettest June on record.
“The Father’s Day storm was so broad and devastating,” Wright said. “I think in everyone’s lifetime around here, they hadn’t seen anything like it.”
Stanger said he hoped the worst of the wet weather was behind them.
“Hopefully, we can get back into a dry pattern and get back to work,” he said.