March 2022 - 19

Be your
soil's
strongest
advocate.
Your yield depends
on your management
strategies and hard
work, but the key to
your operation's longterm
success lies with
your most valuable
asset: your soil.
That's why our
agronomists bring onfarm
experience and
university resources to
find what works best
for you to maximize
overall available
nutrient levels in your
soil. Because healthier
soil allows for better
water and nutrient
holding capacity.
When you partner with
us, you get access to
everything you need to
evaluate and manage
soil fertility levels,
along with beneficial
microorganisms for
sustainable soil health
and maximum yield
potential.
TOGETHER,
WE GENERATE BETTER
SOIL HEALTH
WilburEllisAgribusiness.com
For information only. Not a
label. Prior to use,
always
read and follow product label
directions. WILBUR-ELLIS logo
is a registered trademark and
The Power of We is a trademark
of
Wilbur-Ellis
Company
LLC.
SKLARCZYK: Well, it's tremendous
information that provides the
ability for not only the seed grower,
but the end user who is depending
upon the product to make the
right steps. A challenge in doing
this is that we have to digest what
that information really means,
because as we do additional and
new testing methods, we will learn
so much more and the industry
has to determine at what point is
it a negative impact. We have a lot
of learning to do, but the openness
that's happened within the last few
years in the industry is going to
allow us to get there. It's going to
have great rewards for everyone.
WHAT'S THIS PROJECT
GOING TO MEAN FOR A SEED
POTATO GROWER?
EBE: Having seed potato health
information
earlier,
information that it provides, it's
going to be just good all the way
around. We are at a stage where
vertical integration from the base
seed production to the commercial
end use of the product is becoming
more of a standard than an unusual
circumstance. It's going to bring the
industry together much more than
we ever dreamed up in the past.
- The National Potato Council's
Vision 2026 team includes Chakradhar
Mattupalli, Ph.D., an assistant professor
at Washington State University; Amy
Charkowski, Ph.D., professor and
Agricultural Biology Department
Head at Colorado State University;
Jason Ingram, MS., and Melanie J.
Filiatrault, Ph.D., scientists for the
USDA's Agricultural Research Service;
and Don Sklarczyk, former owner of
Sklarczyk
Seed Farms in Michigan
almost
immediately after harvest will
enable better informed decisions. I
think the entire industry will benefit
from that uniformity.
SKLARCZYK: As we look at the
improvement in testing and the
INDUSTRY NEWS
SALES UP, VOLUME DOWN DURING FOURTH QUARTER
Higher prices at the grocery store
and elsewhere are evident in the latest
retail report on potato sales released by
Potatoes USA.
During the quarter spanning October
to December 2021, potato sales
increased in dollars by 3.5%, but
decreased in volume by 6.7%.
" Elevated prices in grocery stores lead
to an increase in dollar sales compared
to 2020, " Potatoes USA's report said.
" Volume sales were below 2020 levels
but remained higher than in 2019. Prices
grew by 10.9% compared to 2020,
growing five times faster than the
previous two years. "
All categories of potatoes fell in
volume during the quarter compared to
the last quarter of 2020, when more
people were still eating at home amid
pandemic shutdowns. Dollar sales grew
in three categories: chips, deli-prepared
sides and refrigerated potatoes.
Chips had the largest increase in dollar
sales at 8.3% due to the largest increase
in the average price compared to the
previous year (+11.3%).
Refrigerated potatoes and deliprepared
sides increased in dollar sales
by 1.4% and 6.2%, respectively.
An 8.7% dollar decline in fresh potato
sales was largely impacted by russet
sales, the category's largest volume
share, which fell 2.7% in dollars and
11.2% in volume. The second largest
fresh category, red potatoes, also fell in
dollars by 2.9% and in volume by 7.3%.
Yellow and petite potatoes grew in dollar
and volume sales compared to 2020.
Frozen sales declined by 1.9% in volume
and 4.8% dollar amount during the quarter.
Price per pound was up 3.1%.
Dehy potato sales were down 3.7%
in volume and 4.3% in total dollars. The
dehy price increase was the smallest
among the categories at 0.7%.
Spudman * March 2022
19
and chair of the National Potato
Council's seed potato health initiative
Vision 2026 Committee. Greg Ebe, seed
potato grower in Washington state and
current commissioner on Washington
State Seed Potato Commission also
contributed to this report.
http://www.WilburEllisAgribusiness.com
March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2022
