The first two months of the season have been terrific for Red River Valley fresh shippers and all sign are pointing to the rest of the season being good as well. Early season shipments of red potatoes from the Valley were clearly up at the expense ofBig Lake and Long Prairie where yields were down significantly from last year. Shipments from central Minnesota were down about a quarter-million bags through October, whileshipments out of the Valley were up about the same amount in that period. Favorable harvest conditions allowed some Red River Valley shippers to get into the market two to three weeks earlier than last year, which also helped increase early season shipping capacity. Red prices have responded to the limited supply situation and are generally two to three dollars per hundredweight higher than they were in mid-October last year.
展开▼
