For a break in our state budget programming, here’s an interesting story from Marketplace: Late potato planting could affect french fry supply.

Anna King writes about how the cold and snowy weather we had across Washington in February delayed potato planting by a good month (an “unheard of” delay). This is a problem because

. . . nearly all Northwest potato growers sign a contract with their processors that sets a hard deadline for the day they have to dig up the yield. Farmers are paid by the ton for whatever comes out of the ground at that time. . . .

If potatoes are small because they haven’t had a full growing season, farmers don’t make as much money.

In 2017, Washington grew $686.6 million worth of potatoes, the fourth highest valued agricultural commodity in Washington. Washington produced the second most potatoes in the U.S. (behind Idaho).

Additionally, Lamb Weston has major frozen potato product operations in Richland, and, according to the Tri-City Herald, “most of the potatoes processed into french fries in Richland are purchased from farmers within 60 miles of the Tri-Cities.” The company recently expanded in the city, in part because the “largest commercial freezer in North America” is nearby. “The $115 million freezer offers customers, including Lamb Weston, frozen storage and access to both rail and trucking lines for distribution to domestic and international markets.”