A recent weakening of the agricultural
economy in the Magic Valley has created a need among farmers for
profitable agri-business options such as diversification and/or
alternative agricultural markets. To meet this need, a specialty potato trial was conducted
during 2000.
Cultivars
planted were ‘Viking Red’, ‘Nordonna’,
‘Huckleberry’, ‘German Butterball’, ‘Yukon Gold’,
‘Epicure’, ‘Caribe’ and ‘Russet Norkotah’.
Smaller non-replicated plots included ‘All Blue’,
‘Yellow Finn’, ‘Sangre Red’, ‘Desiree’ and ‘Red
LaSoda’.
Taste
tests and market surveys from growers, industry representatives
and Farmers’ Market consumers found ‘Caribe’, ‘German
Butterball’, ‘Yukon Gold’, ‘Viking Red’ and
‘Nordonna’ high in texture, flavor and appearance.
Eighty percent of those surveyed would purchase some of
the cultivars. In
addition, six to seven of the ten grocery store produce managers
surveyed would purchase one or more of the cultivars for $0.20 -
$0.99 per pound wholesale.
At
a Farmers’ Market retail price of $0.50 per pound and a
production cost per acre of $3000, the total yield of potatoes
in sizes less than 2 ounces through 6 ounces found in this study
would range in returns from a net gain of $11,700 for ‘German
Butterball’ to a net loss of $220 for ‘Viking Red’ per
acre.
Information
published in national magazines and local newspapers about this
project increased knowledge about the diversity and availability
of specialty potatoes.
This
work will encourage consumers to buy non-traditional
agricultural products and urge growers to increase the
production and sale of Idaho-grown specialty potatoes to provide
“extra” income to survive tough economic situations.
