Good weather key to wrapping up tough potato harvest season
CBC
Post tropical storm Fiona was a harsh start to the potato harvest season on P.E.I., but Mother Nature has been kind since.
Despite setbacks after the storm, the fall harvest is almost complete.
"Many farmers are finished despite being a slow start. Harvest finished up in a normal time and in some cases maybe even a little earlier than normal," said Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board.
"I would say, as of today, about at least 95 per cent or more of the crop is harvested."
Other than a few days that started out cold, it has been nearly perfect harvest conditions, he said.
"We were really fortunate that the weather cooperated since then," Donald said.
"We've had beautiful harvest weather."
There are some concerns with moisture in a few places, said Donald, but to this point most potato farmers are very satisfied with the crop they harvested.
"You know the crop for the most part went into the warehouses was excellent, it was really good quality," he said.
Fiona created another challenge — where that crop would go. Some warehouses were damaged by the storm and were not repaired in time, but Donald said producers who had damage were able to find other locations.
"It's always nice to be done by Halloween, as far as I'm concerned," John Visser, a Victoria potato farmer and chair of the P.E.I. Potato Board, said.
Visser agrees that the quality of the crop going into storage is good. Now, he's hoping for more seasonable weather.
"The only concern I have is the weather is warm," he said. "I know on our farm, we don't have a whole lot of refrigeration."
"I will be glad when the temperature drops."
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