Witt: 2018 Looks To Be A Good Year For Potatoes Possibly Onions

As we continue our series looking at Northwest Farm Credit Services’ quarterly snapshots of area commodities, we turn our eyes to the row crops.  Karen Witt, Vice President at Northwest Farm Credit Services said they expect breakeven conditions for local onion producers.

“Favorable weather conditions allowed harvest to begin at least one week earlier than normal in many areas. However, prices remain subdued for yellow onions due to lower-quality onions from California in the supply chain. Red and white onions remain profitable.”

When looking at potatoes, Witt said the 12-month outlook suggests grower returns will remain slightly profitable for uncontracted potatoes and profitable for contracted potatoes.

“Fresh market, uncontracted potatoes may slip toward breakeven during harvest. However, uncontracted prices will likely improve for the remainder of the marketing season depending on crop quality and packout.”

Join us Wednesday as we turn our attention to cherries and wine.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com