News on The Potato Supply Chain from Colorado

During the first quarter of Potatoes USA’s Marketing Year 2022 (July - September 2021), potato sales decreased in dollars by 1.1% and in volume by 5.7% compared to the same period in 2020.

The marketing year that ended in June 2021 was unlike any year the US potato industry has ever experienced. With pandemic restrictions ebbing and flowing from June 2020 to July 2021, sales at foodservice fluctuated while retail purchases remained extremely strong throughout the year.

Strohauer Farms is based in Northern Colorado, so further away from where the majority of potato growers are located in the state which is in the San Luis Valley.

United States imports of potatoes and potato products for the July 2020 – June 2021 marketing year increased by 12% in fresh weight equivalent volume and 16% in value, compared to the previous marketing year.

Exports from the U.S. were impacted by reduced demand and shipping problems starting in January 2020; this reduced demand carried through the end of 2020.

From July 2020 - June 2021, potato sales in the United States increased in dollars by 3% but declined slightly in volume by 0.3% compared to the previous July-June marketing year.

Potatoes USA announces nominations are now open for new Board Members for the 2022-2025 term.

Strong demand for potatoes and potato products and tight domestic supplies continues to drive increases in imports for the current (July – June) marketing year. For July 2020 – March 2021 total imports are up 9 percent, led by an 18% increase in chips and a 15 percent increase in dehydrated potatoes.

Dave Holm was destined to work with potatoes. He was raised on a potato farm in southeast Idaho, where his dad and grandfather instilled in him a love of one of the world’s most important crops.

Potatoes USA, the marketing and promotion board for the U.S. potato industry, elected new leadership during the Annual Meeting on March 11, 2021. The newly elected Chairman and Executive Committee will lead the Board through 2021-2022.

United States potato exports continue to recover but remain behind previous year levels. Exports for the first six months of the marketing year, July – December 2020, are behind the record levels set in 2019.

Record potato retail sales continued from October to December 2020, the second quarter of Potatoes USA’s marketing year 2021. All three months saw an increase in both dollar and volume sales, with the largest growth in December.

In a recent study published in the MPMI journal, scientists from CSU revealed that metabolites from S. chacoense contribute to disease resistance by altering the pathogenic behavior of Pectobacterium brasiliense, rather than inhibiting its growth or killing it.

US potato imports for the first quarter of the July 2020 – June 2021 marketing year were up 19% in total, according to a news release issued by Potatoes USA.

Record potato sales continued at US retail from July through September 2020. Total store potato sales increased by 13.6% in dollar sales and 10.6% in volume sales, compared to the same time frame in 2019.

U.S. potato exports for the July – September quarter were down significantly compared to the same period in 2019. This drop is a result of the pandemic's continuing impact on the demand in many markets, particularly in SE Asia and Central America, and the tight supplies of U.S. frozen potato products.

US Fresh potato sales increased significantly from July 2019 through June 2020, and so did the number of households buying potatoes. Eighty-eight percent of households purchased potatoes on an average of 10 times during the 52-week period.

Since public health restrictions for COVID-19 were put in place, US potato sales at retail have been well above historical levels.