Maine Department of Agriculture Reports a Good Year for Maine's Potato Crop

Maine farmers were not affected by the severe drought that affected the Midwest this summer, and Maine potato producers are harvesting "a quality crop"this season, according to state agriculture officials.

With 80 to 85 percent of the crop already harvested as of last week, growers are having a successful growing year and are storing a good crop of potatoes, according to Don Flannery, Maine Potato Board executive director.

"We're looking at a crop that is good quality and somewhere close to average yield,"reports Flannery.

Flannery said this year's crop is expected to be a yield in keeping with the 12-year average of 290 hundredweight per acre. The final amount won't be known until about six months from now after the entire crop is sold, he said.