Idaho’s potato industry overcame supply chain disruptions and COVID-related challenges to post a solid 2020 crop.
As PotatoNewsToday reported:
Supplies of potatoes out of Idaho are solid. “The yields were good. It wasn’t necessarily a bumper crop but it was average yields,” Ryan Wahlen of Pleasant Valley Potato in Aberdeen, ID told FreshPlaza’s Astrid Van Den Broek.
“The warm weather throughout harvest led to a really nice quality potato. If it’s too cold, some Russet Burbanks get ‘shatter bruise’ where they literally break on impact when they go into the truck. That impacted the quality last year significantly because the harvest season was so cold. But this year it was pretty nice.”
As for demand on potatoes, it’s strong right now. “Retail is strong and has been throughout the pandemic,” says Wahlen. However, foodservice demand is a bit more ‘wait and see’. Meanwhile pricing on potatoes is currently in line with historical average pricing.
Recently announced lockdowns in Idaho and Washington will threaten the food service industry’s demand for produce, including potatoes.
