Torrential rains that nearly destroyed north Florida’s potato crop shouldn’t seriously disrupt the U.S. spring potato deal.
A week of late May heavy rains flooded fields with 27 inches of rain and destroyed up to 70% of the deal’s potatoes.
Tony Ruskowski, owner of R&R Farms of Suffolk Inc., Calverton, N.Y., a sales agency and handler that sells for Johnston Bros. Farms, Bunnell, Fla., said word of the damage has harmed sales.
“Now that the trade has heard about all this horrendous water down here, they’re scared to death,” he said May 28. “You have to beg them to give you a shot. They’re scared it will disrupt their flow to the stores.
Overloaded with business because of Florida’s problems, Ruskowski said that California’s Kern County likely will make up for any Florida losses and that retailers won’t likely run out of spring potatoes.
North Carolina should start June 15, with Virginia production planning to begin diggings June 16-25, Ruskowski said.
