December 1, 2008
State's potato harvest down dramatically
By The Mainebiz News Staff
The state's 2008 potato harvest was the smallest in decades thanks to losses in acreage and crop yields, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This year, Maine potato farmers produced an estimated 1.44 million pounds, 14% below the 2007 harvest, the Maine Potato Board told Mainebiz this morning.
The number of acres farmed for potatoes in Maine has dropped dramatically. Maine's potato farmers harvested an estimated 54,500 acres in 2008, a far cry from the more than 100,000 acres typical as recently as 25 years ago. The average yield per acre averaged about 26,500 pounds this year, down from 29,500 pounds in 2007, according to the Department of Agriculture.
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