Vegetable/Potato Industry Snapshot

Crop conditions have been quite variable across the Northeast largely due to local weather. Excessive moisture in some areas negatively impacted growers in contrast, many vegetable growers reported favorable weather and a good start to the season.

Farm stands have seen solid traffic although sales remain (in many cases) below the 2021 peak.

Major processors such as Del Monte and Seneca Foods are long on inventory following the COVID-era boom when everyone stocked up on canned goods. They are now cutting back on contracted volumes in an attempt to bring supplies into better balance with demand.

Despite higher shrinkage and waste from the 2023 Maine potato crop, the state held the same volume of potatoes on hand June 1st as the previous year at 1.8MM cwt. Processors continue to run at capacity on contracted production. It is likely that potatoes will move from western states to Maine to supplement local stock on hand due to the storage issues experienced.

The 2024 Maine potato crop went into the ground in near record time and well ahead of normal thanks to nearly ideal weather in May. Since that time, the crop has received adequate rainfall and heat, leading to very good growing conditions. The majority of the state’s potato crop is 3-4 weeks ahead of normal in terms of development. The earliest planted fields are in full bloom and filling the rows. Later planted seed varieties also look very good, although that portion of the crop is on a more normal growth progression.

Maine’s 2024 planted acres held steady at 53,000 acres. Nationally, US potato acreage was reduced by 43,000 acres, with the majority of those acreage cuts coming in Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

Contracts with the major processors in Maine (McCain, McCrum, Pineland, as well as Frito Lay) were all settled and are flat to down by 1-2% in price. Contract volumes are generally the same to individual growers, although some individual varieties saw changes in contracted volumes.