North Dakota Potato Industry

In an attempt to increase net returns from farming efforts and stabilize agricultural commodities, rural communities are viewing value-added processing as a possible solution. Many attempts have been made at the value-added concept, and recently adding potato production under irrigation has changed farming for some North Dakota producers. The potato industry is meeting consumer demands for more efficient and less time consuming methods of cooking by offering a wider variety of convenient processed potato items. The different uses of potatoes determines processor locations and movement of the raw product. However, the location of processing plants and warehouses impact highway demand and truck use. A network flow model was developed to estimate the truck traffic generated by the potato industry : The model uses some of the steps implemented by Denver Tolliver of UGPTI in developing a Prototype Corn Highway Network Model for Southeastern North Dakota. A network model is a representation of supply and destination nodes and the transportation links. The most important findings is the reduction in production in northeastern North Dakota, the traditional location of potato production and the introduction of irrigated acreage in the central and south central part of the state. The processors demand a uniform quality product which can best be controlled under irrigation. Continued irrigation development will increase tonnage product from the land. This production may not be potatoes, but whatever the crop, the additional tonnage will have greater impacts on the North Dakota highway system. Development of flow models to coincide with NASS production data will provide valuable insight for North Dakota highway planners.