Washington Farmers Petition Hoover to Stabilize Potato Prices
Facing a massive surplus in the 1917 crop, state agriculture officials scramble to prevent a market collapse.
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State Commissioner of Agriculture E. F. Benson has appealed to Herbert Hoover, national food director, for government aid in fixing a minimum price to farmers for their potato crop. Inflated prices of last year led Washington farmers to plant so many potatoes that a 100 percent increase of production is looked for by the state official. Benson has asked the government to fix a minimum price of $20.00 a ton to the farmer in order to prevent a slump in 1918. Herbert Hoover estimates that the national crop will be 100,000,000 bushels over any previous year and as the railroads can handle but a third of it during the hauling season he states that if storage facilities can be arranged for the balance, prices may be maintained.
“Inflated prices of last year led Washington farmers to plant so many potatoes that a 100 percent increase of production is looked for.”
Agricultural market volatility remains a central theme for the Tri-Cities region, where the economy is still deeply tied to the success of regional harvests. Just as Benson feared a 'slump' due to overproduction in 1917, modern growers continue to grapple with the pressures of global supply chains and the need for federal support mechanisms.
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