PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s potato growers had any such bumper crop this previous season that they stepped in to assist their giant brothers out west who had been brief on spuds.
Farmers from Maine shipped potatoes by way of rail for the primary time in 4 a long time this iciness due to 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, using in climate-controlled rail automobiles.
All informed, 21 million kilos (9.5 million kilograms) of potatoes, nearly all from growers in northern Maine, flowed via a rail-connected warehouse owned by way of LaJoie Growers LLC. That equates to greater than 530 truckloads of potatoes, stated co-owner Jay LaJoie.
“It’s a excellent chew of potatoes,” stated Don Flannery, govt 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 stated processors had been thankful for the potato shipments, however they’re hopeful Maine growers’ services and products aren’t required at some point.
The shipments got here to an early finish about two weeks in the past, birthday party as a result of financial disruptions led to by way of the warfare in Ukraine. Nevertheless it was once excellent whilst it lasted, serving to out potato processors in western states whilst lowering an oversupply of Maine spuds.
It additionally proved the worth of rail strains for agriculture, particularly right through a scarcity of vehicles within the pandemic, LaJoie stated.
There’s no method growers can have sourced sufficient tractor-trailers to haul the potatoes, however there took place to be an to be had rail line that connects to a LaJoie-owned warehouse in Van Buren.
The dearth of truck drivers has contributed to supply-chain issues right through the pandemic.
“I don’t see transportation getting higher anytime quickly,” LaJoie stated.
Whilst Maine is understood for its well-known lobsters, the state was once certainly as soon as the country’s potato capital via International Struggle II. Different states later stepped up manufacturing within the Fifties. Idaho and Washington State are lately Nos. 1 and a couple of whilst Maine ranks 9th, in line with the USDA.
The abnormal 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 outcome was once decreased yields, and decrease high quality, Voigt stated.
“The vegetation form of close down,” he stated.
The intense warmth decreased yields by way of just about 10% for potato growers in Idaho and Washington, whilst Maine potato yields grew greater than 30% due to excellent climate, in line with the U.S. Division of Agriculture.
In northern Maine, the harvest was once so giant that growers scrambled to search out garage. Some constructions on the former Loring Air Drive Base had been enlisted for a last-minute house for the ample tubers.
After all, it proved to be a a hit pilot program for rail supply which may be used once more if abnormal climate patterns persist, LaJoie stated. Plus Maine loved getting some consideration for its potato business due to the irony of David rendering assist to the potato Goliaths.