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September 25, 2015

Potato harvest underway after heat delay

Potato farmers in Aroostook County reported that high temperatures delayed the start of the harvest for three days last week, but the initial quality and yield of the crop appear better than last year, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Randy Smith, farm manager at the Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, a research farm operated by the University of Maine, told the AP that weather for the growing season has been “as good as it could ever be hoped for.”

But the Maine Potato Board said it’s too early to project whether this year’s harvest will surpass last year’s level of 1.52 billion pounds of potatoes.

Farmers said the amount of rain and sun for the growing season was perfect, even though last week’s temperatures in the 80s made it too warm to put potatoes into storage.

Read more:

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Naturally Potatoes' $7.5M expansion nearly done

UMaine, Maine Potato Board launch new potato variety

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