News and Stories

December 23, 2014

Extremely cold weather should start in Eastern Idaho by the end of this week and continue through next week. Temperatures are forecast to drop as low as nine degrees on Friday, December 26, then drop below zero degrees on Tuesday, December 30.   

• Temperatures need to be 18 degrees or warmer for five to seven hours of the day to transport potatoes to sheds for full production
• If low temperatures are sustained, production hours may be shortened
• Loading delays are likely due to short production windows, however it is difficult to gauge how severe the situation will get at this point
• Growers do not ship potatoes to packing sheds when temperatures are below 18 degrees; doing so can cause internal and external bruising as well as black skins and flesh (located on the outer edges of potatoes and just under their skins)
• Prices could increase if there are shortages

Large Idaho Burbank and Norkotah potatoes (40- through 70-count supplies) remain limited. Cool temperatures and rain received during the August harvesting period hindered growth, preventing stocks from reaching full size potential. As a result, small sizes dominate the crop.  

Burbank

• Markon First Crop (MFC) Burbank Potatoes are available
• U.S. No. 1 Burbank carton stocks are dominated by 80- to 100-count sizes; large potatoes (40- to 70-count) are limited
• No. 2 supplies are dominated by the 6-ounce size; there are fewer 10-ounce potatoes available, as the crop has a small size profile
• Burbank potatoes are considered the premium potato by most foodservice operators and chefs because they have more solids and lower moisture content; overall shape is oval and slightly flattened, with skin that is relatively thin and light brown in color

Norkotah

• MFC Norkotah Potatoes are available  
• U.S. No. 1 Norkotah carton stocks are dominated by 80- to 100-count sizes; similar to the Burbank variety, large potatoes (40- to 70-count supplies) are limited  
• No. 2 supplies are dominated by the 6-ounce size; there are fewer 10-ounce potatoes available as the crop has a small size profile
• Norkotah potatoes are smooth skinned with slightly darker netting (compared to the Burbank variety) and have a longer, more oblong shape than Burbanks; Norkotahs typically possess fewer solids than Burbanks, giving them a higher moisture content 

Please contact your Markon customer service representative for more information.

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