EEUU: Maine potato industry has moved to ‘smarter’ farming

The potato acreage in Maine has declined from 186,000 acres in 1947 to 58,000 in 2021. The state’s potato crop for 2021 is valued at $209.7 million. While it was once No. 1, Maine now ranks toward the bottom of a top-10 roster led by Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin and Oregon.

In Aroostook County experts say the production shift west is due largely to advances in irrigation, more shipping connections and larger land area. But they are less concerned about Maine’s ranking than they are with growers focusing on technological advances to get the most out of the land they farm.

“We’re farming smarter. I would stack our growers up against growers in any other parts of the world. They’re that good,” said Steve Johnson, area crops specialist and potato educator at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Presque Isle.

Johnson pointed out that while acreage may have decreased, yields per acre have increased steadily, due largely to the technology available. Improved methods for applying fertilizer, for instance, and use of more vigorous, younger-generation seed contribute to higher yields.

Crop rotation is another factor. The more years growers can rest the ground from potatoes, the more the land renews itself and becomes better when planted with potatoes again.