Potato shortage?

[Jenise]

I don't know what in the heck's going on, but two weeks ago I needed Yukon golds for one of the dishes I was making for Gastro/Danse. At an outdoor produce market, I passed on Yukons at .79/lb bulk thinking surely I could get ten pounds for $5 at a regular supermarket. But no, the supermarket didn't have any. "There's a shortage of yellow potatoes, we haven't been able to get any for a few months" the produce guy told me. Disbelieving that, I went to another market, who had none, and then another market where the produce lady pointed to a small pile of about 20 baking sized yellow potatoes and said, "That's all I have. There's a shortage." So after passing up bulk taters at 79 cents I ended up paying $1.49/lb ten miles closer to home and was grateful to have them.

On Friday, I was at Costco, where they had NO potatoes at all, any color.

Mind you, this is potato country. Idaho's not far, Oregon's not far and the county nextdoor to mine grows fantastic potatoes which are primarily yellow. Anybody know what in the heck's going on?

[Robin Garr]

For what it's worth, Mary and I worked at a monthly food pantry yesterday, and the local food bank sent out, among other things, about 200 pounds of Idaho bakers in 5-pound bags, so the shortage can't be THAT bad!

About a month ago I picked up 4 3lb bags of smallish Green Giant Yukon Golds at Meijers for $1.00 per bag. Of course that was sale price, but $0.33 is a bargain anytime, anywhere.

I've been buying from our Farmer's Market, but I did not notice any shortage in Raley's a few days ago, when I picked up a bunch of russets, then walked by the red potato section to see what looked good there.

No fear....if there should be a potato famine, this may be the big chance for North Americans to migrate to Ireland.

there were not any Yukon Golds at my local Giant this week. I didnlt need them for anythin specific so got some whites instead. I did not try another store. Thinking back, not sure they had reds either. I am in Maryland.

It might have something to due with all the rain we've been getting around the country, particularly in the the northern areas where the taters grow.

Daniel -- ROFL!!

John

[Jenise]

About a month ago I picked up 4 3lb bags of smallish Green Giant Yukon Golds at Meijers for $1.00 per bag. Of course that was sale price, but $0.33 is a bargain anytime, anywhere.

So, it's your fault there's a shortage. You bought the last bag!

There is in fact a global shortage of potatoes, at least according to various articles I read while searching for answers to this question, possibly largely attributable to a devastating drought in Russia last summer which destroyed most of their crop. This from one source:
"Farm Credit Canada says there is a global shortage of potatoes, exports of Prince Edward Island’s 85,500-acre crop have risen dramatically, while elsewhere crop acreage across North America has declined. It hasn’t predicted what all that is likely to do to consumer prices, but quotes general manager Greg Donald of the P.E.I. potato board as saying, “we’re very concerned with getting the best price for growers.” While the crop news might be good for producers and not so good for consumers of table potatoes and various potatobased products such as chips, it might be a temporary situation. The spike in exports to Holland is being attributed to heavy rains and in Russia to a drought last year. This accounted for a 90 per cent increase in overseas sales, according to FCC. Meantime, exports to the U.S. increased by about 10 per cent."

Reading between the lines, this seems to be saying in essence that exports are up, US production down. I saw another article about a shortage in South Africa due to heavy rains. Is this the End of Days??

I'm not seeing it here in NJ. Potatoes of all shapes and sizes in the local stores.

Slightly off this topic, I heard a while back that MacDonalds actually ages its potatoes to make better fries.

I had kind of put this out of my mind until recently when I had a batch of old, soft, and slightly wrinkly potatoes that I decided I really had to use them up. I cut them into dice-sized cubes and made a Mexican flavored recipe, and they were just incredible. Crispy and brown outside and tender inside.

I thought "this is the greatest recipe ever" and when they were gone I bought more. But these had a hard wet texture like an apple, completely different texture when uncooked. I made the same recipe with completely different results. They didn't get brown or crunchy outside, they didn't get appropriately soft inside. I thought "Ahhhhh!!"

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/200 ... oes-2.html

[Jenise]

Bob, thanks for that information.

Went to yet another store today and discovered they too are completely out of yellow potatoes. In 5 lb bags or larger, only russets.

I've been Googling around trying to find evidence of a potato shortage in the US.

I'm pretty good at Googling but I couldn't find anything from this year -- an article from 2008 is all.

If anyone can find information to back this up please post it here??

I do see shortages in Russia and South Africa but I do not see why this would lead to no potatoes in the stores around Idaho.

I think it must be some kind of distribution glitch.

[Jenise]

I've been Googling around trying to find evidence of a potato shortage in the US.

I'm pretty good at Googling but I couldn't find anything from this year -- an article from 2008 is all.

If anyone can find information to back this up please post it here??

I do see shortages in Russia and South Africa but I do not see why this would lead to no potatoes in the stores around Idaho.

I think it must be some kind of distribution glitch.

Possibly it's just regional and obviously more a yellow problem than otherwise, though it's odd that Costco had NO potatoes last week, any color. I'll call down to Skagit County tomorrow--I'll bet there's a growers association--and ask.

I've been Googling around trying to find evidence of a potato shortage in the US.
I'm pretty good at Googling but I couldn't find anything from this year -- an article from 2008 is all.
If anyone can find information to back this up please post it here??

I do see shortages in Russia and South Africa but I do not see why this would lead to no potatoes in the stores around Idaho. I think it must be some kind of distribution glitch.

Frank, I went looking into the potato shortage question this morning and found that in some potato growing areas there is or at least an expectation of a shortage. I would imagine that potatoes are less available in spring and early summer than in fall and in winter. That is an assumption only, but it would seem to me that by mid spring the previous years crop is waning through sales. I did find one web page that speaks of shortages though and it is available below.

http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/Dis ... px?ID=5232

http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/Dis ... px?ID=5299

[Jenise]

Bob, a link on the page you provided indicates that potato supplies in storage are at their lowest level in 10 years. Interesting table showing state by state production, too: my state is second only to Idaho, which I thought that would be the case but I wasn't sure.

http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=5299

So, it's your fault there's a shortage. You bought the last bag!

Jenise, the wife and I had some of them this morning in a Spanish omlette. AKA in Spain as a tortilla española. see it at http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/ss/tortilla.htm

Taters seemed in adequate supply here. All varieties and colors.

I don't doubt what people are seeing. I just wanted to be able to talk about it intelligently outside this board, and thought I should see some recent discussion online.

As far as the old crop / new crop thing goes, I think that relates to my story. I am seeing lots of potatoes but they are really hard and juicy, barely out of the ground...

[Robin Garr]

I don't doubt what people are seeing. I just wanted to be able to talk about it intelligently outside this board, and thought I should see some recent discussion online.

As far as the old crop / new crop thing goes, I think that relates to my story. I am seeing lots of potatoes but they are really hard and juicy, barely out of the ground...

Keep up the good work, Frank, no complaints here!

I don't doubt what people are seeing. I just wanted to be able to talk about it intelligently outside this board, and thought I should see some recent discussion online.

As far as the old crop / new crop thing goes, I think that relates to my story. I am seeing lots of potatoes but they are really hard and juicy, barely out of the ground...

Frank, when I was growing up on the farm, my parents always harvested some of the current crop as soon as they got to golf ball size or a little larger. There were termed "new" potatoes and as I recall they went extremely well with creamed peas, and with green beans fresh off the vine. Most of them though were allowed to grow to maturity before my dad would plow them out of the ground and we kids would gather and wash them. I remember we would store them in straw or hay in what we called a "root cellar". Those were the days, but I don't want to go back to them.

Well, I was in a little superette ten miles up the road from us. They had small and large red potatoes, Russets, and white potatoes from Oregon. Didn't see any YGs.

I hope I can still indulge in McDonalds fries in light of all this!

Jeff

[Jenise]

I hope I can still indulge in McDonalds fries in light of all this!

Jeff

You don't need much of an excuse, do you?