Value of Odessa potatoes

In Washington state, low mountain snowpack has caused the governor to declare a statewide drought emergency for this summer. However, for the majority of the growers in the Odessa Subarea region that use groundwater, these conditions are nothing new. Whereas most of the potatoes in the state are irrigated with surface water from the Columbia and Snake Rivers, farmers in the Odessa Subarea face drought-like conditions every year.

The Odessa region is an outstanding region for producing potatoes, and the production in this area of Washington is an asset for the potato-processing industry. Grower...