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This year’s potato crop could be substantially larger than 2011’s—up to 41 million hundredweight more bags harvested—according to Jerry Wright, president/CEO of United Potato Growers of America. Wright and 30 others in the industry participated in a meeting on Tuesday to identify options for exhausting some of the anticipated excess potato supply. UPGA is a federated farmer cooperative that focuses on managing its members’ potato supply so as to positively affect their economic success.

A combination of approaches may be needed this fall, according to Wright. Options currently on the table include some form of controlled harvest (asking growers to leave some of the crop in fields or to only harvest the best quality potatoes). A coordinated diversion of potatoes from fresh market channels to other sales outlets might also be beneficial. Moving more potatoes through government feeding programs could also help.

Did you know we grow potatoes right here in Arizona? We even have a Lay’s Potato Chip plant in Casa Grande.  For a list of local potato farmers or delicious recipes using potatoes, click on over to Fill Your Plate.

Related Articles:

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• Make Every Day Eat Your Veggies Day (fillyourplate.org)
• It’s National Farmer’s Market Week – Let’s Go Shopping (fillyourplate.org)