雪莱农民巴特·瓦滕巴格(Bart Wattenbarger)依靠强劲的市场来帮助他从去年秋天广泛的早季冻害中恢复过来,这种冻害毁坏了约30%的马铃薯。
在2019年收成之后的一段时间里,情况看起来不错,马铃薯供应量可控,导致种植者获得可观的回报,食品服务业使用的50磅重的新鲜纸箱价格上涨。
Then COVID-19 hit, and after an initial price escalation for retail potatoes caused by supply chain constrictions, the market unraveled.随后,COVID-XNUMX受到打击,在供应链收缩导致零售马铃薯的初始价格上涨之后,市场崩溃了。 Processors cut contracts, farmers returned unneeded seed to their seed potato suppliers and growers with no markets for their surplus spuds made national headlines by giving them away to local struggling families.加工商削减合同,农民将不需要的种子退还给他们的种薯供应商,而没有市场的种植者将多余的土豆块交给当地苦苦挣扎的家庭而成为全国头条新闻。
Wattenbarger认为,在为今年秋天的收成做准备时,他的餐桌再次被设置为可管理的土豆块供应,优质作物和良好的市场。 The wildcard, however, remains COVID-19.但是,通配符仍为COVID-XNUMX。
Some farmers have already begun digging in East Idaho growing areas with sandy soil, such as Fort Hall, and they've been killing vines elsewhere in preparation for harvest.一些农民已经开始在爱达荷州东部有沙质土壤的产区进行挖掘,例如Fort Hall,他们一直在杀死其他地方的葡萄树,以准备收获。 The region's farmers are generally reporting excellent tuber quality and average yields.该地区的农民普遍报告其优良的块茎质量和平均单产。
Wattenbarger说:“距我们在农场上赚到的钱已经过去了五年,我们期待去年的繁荣。”
“二月份,那个市场崩溃了。 It took the wind out of the sails for every farmer around here.这使这里周围的每个农民都摆脱了帆风。 We were all excited a month before that, and then everybody was in depression mode almost.”在那之前一个月,我们都很兴奋,然后每个人几乎都处于抑郁状态。”
A small decrease in supply can make a significant difference in price for speciality crops such as potatoes, and Idaho growers anticipate starting this fall with a much smaller volume of spuds compared with recent years.供应量的小幅下降可能会给马铃薯等特殊作物的价格带来重大差异,爱达荷州的种植者预计,从今年秋天开始,与近几年相比,土豆块的数量将大大减少。 USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated Idaho farmers planted 300,000 acres of spuds this season — down 10,000 acres from 2019 — driven largely by major contract cuts from processors.美国农业部国家农业统计局估计,爱达荷州农民本季节种植了295,790英亩的土豆,比XNUMX年减少了XNUMX英亩,这主要是由于加工商大幅削减了合同。 A grower organization that surveyed planted acreage by visiting and observing each field in the state estimated the crop is even smaller, at XNUMX acres.一个种植者组织通过访问和观察该州的每个田地来调查种植面积,估计农作物的面积更小,为XNUMX英亩。
Potato prices that crashed after the coronavirus forced shutdowns of restaurants and food service buyers have since rebounded somewhat.自从冠状病毒迫使餐馆和食品服务购买者关闭后,马铃薯价格暴跌,此后价格有所反弹。 USDA Market News reported on Aug. 25 the price of five, 10-pound mesh sacks of Russet Norkotahs from the Upper Valley, Twin Falls-Burley District was $6.50 to $7.50, and 50-count Norkotah cartons were selling for $16 to $19.50.美国农业部《市场新闻》 XNUMX月XNUMX日报道,来自双子瀑布(Twin Falls-Burley)上谷的XNUMX个XNUMX磅重的网状麻袋价格为XNUMX至XNUMX美元,而XNUMX支诺克塔纸箱的售价为XNUMX至XNUMX美元。
Wattenbarger说:“我认为这完全基于COVID。” “如果我们能够控制这一点,我相信我们将迎来一个良好的市场。 If we have a flareup and shut down again, that was a disaster for the farmers.”如果我们突然爆发并再次关闭,那对农民来说是一场灾难。”
Wattenbarger计划在周五杀死他的葡萄藤,并于21月XNUMX日开始收获。根据他的试验结果,他认为自己的农作物将具有优良的品质。
“我相信我们处在一个良好的市场环境中。”
Wattenbarger在本季节将种植的马铃薯种植面积减少了17%,转而使用春小麦。 He sells fresh potatoes to Shelley-based GPOD of Idaho, which ships a large volume to New York, where many small restaurants remain closed or have gone out of business due to COVID-19.他向位于爱达荷州Shelley的GPOD出售新鲜土豆,该公司大批量运送至纽约,由于COVID-XNUMX,纽约的许多小餐馆仍然关门或倒闭。
Pingree农民Garth Van Orden与马铃薯加工商的合同减少了20%; he also cut back his fresh potato acreage by 10%, planting soft white spring wheat in their place.他还将新鲜马铃薯的播种面积减少了XNUMX%,在原地种植了柔软的白色春小麦。
范奥登(Van Orden)在沙质土壤上耕种,他于15月XNUMX日开始为新鲜市场收获北高地(Norkotahs),尽管早些时候有霜冻,但他的土豆已经恢复了生长,并且他正在收获平均质量高的高产作物。
“没关系。 “我只是趋势线或略低于该趋势线。”
范奥登说,爱达荷州东部的农民在整个生长季节比去年受益于更好的天气,他的目标是按照上个季节的经验,以更及时的方式完成收获,避免早霜的风险。
“我们的作物可控。 “种植者,加工者,新鲜棚子,我们所有人都经历过辊压式成本核算:'不会有任何生意',这是我们无法跟上的。 We were short, we were long, and now we're actually short again.”我们很矮,很长,现在实际上又很矮。”
He said this fall's crop should be ample, but Van Orden also doubts there will be anything extra.他说今年秋天的收成应该足够,但是范奥登也怀疑还会有更多的收获。 Overall, Van Orden believes the crop has a slightly smaller size profile, which should drive up prices of larger-sized fresh cartons.总体而言,范奥登(Van Orden)认为,该农作物的尺寸略小,这将推高大尺寸新鲜纸箱的价格。
爱达荷州马铃薯委员会产业关系总监特拉维斯·布莱克(Travis Blacker)收割了大部分农作物,已经看到有证据表明,对马铃薯市场来说,今年将是丰收的一年。
布莱克勒说,生长条件一直很出色,该州减少的种植面积应该可以带来更好的回报。
“本周我去过Glenns Ferry,Wilder和Egin,就品质而言,我所看到的一切看起来都非常好。 “我非常乐观,这将是美好的一年。”
Blacker said IPC will adjust its programs to market the crop according to this season's unique circumstances.布莱克说,IPC将根据本季节的独特情况调整其计划以销售农作物。 And he acknowledges there are always “wildcards” that could emerge and change the outlook.他承认,总会有“通配符”出现并改变前景。
布莱克说:“我想我们所有人都在祈祷能收成,谁知道今年会发生什么?”
资料来源:www.idahostatejournal.com