COVID-19 from the United States

July 20, 2020

Americans tear up old eating habits, forcing farms to raze crops

Americans have rapidly changed the ways they buy, cook and eat food in just four months, leaving everyone from farmers to restaurants unable to match their pivot.

July 16, 2020

Lamb Weston pulls back curtain with first-ever sustainability report

The region’s largest potato processor sheds new light on french fry-making in its first-ever corporate sustainability report.

June 10, 2020

Potato sales at retail soar in the US

Retail potato sales soar, increasing 10.4% in dollar sales and 9.3% in volume sales between July 1, 2019, and May 19, 2020, according to IRI. All potato categories across the retail store, except deli-prepared sides, increased in dollar and volume sales, according to a report by Potatoes USA.

May 13, 2020

Potato Industry Welcomes USD 50 Million USDA Purchase for Potatoes

The National Potato Council has welcomed USDA’s announcement of a $50 million surplus potato purchase to support the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 13, 2020

PepsiCo Launches New Direct-to-Consumer Offerings to Deliver Food & Beverage Products and Meet Increased Demand Amid Pandemic

As consumers increasingly turn online for their food and beverage needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, PepsiCo, Inc. announced the launch of PantryShop.com and Snacks.com, two direct-to-consumer websites where shoppers can order an assortment of PepsiCo's brands.

May 12, 2020

In french fry heartland, spring turns bitter as coronavirus cuts into global demand

This year, this is a season when dreams die. Due to an epic potato glut that imploded his market, he has decided to do what was once unthinkable — destroy part of his crop rather than sink more dollars into cultivation.

April 28, 2020

Grand Forks Simplot plant to close for two weeks

The J.R. Simplot potato processing plant in Grand Forks has closed for two weeks, beginning on Thursday, April 23.

April 28, 2020

COVID-19 pandemic could force down Idaho potato acres

Total acres of Idaho’s iconic potato crop could decrease significantly this year as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Although there was a rush on potatoes at grocery stores early on.

April 27, 2020

Black Gold Farms starts Texas potato harvest soon

Black Gold Farms, Grand Forks, N.D., will start the harvest of red potatoes in Texas soon. The company will be harvesting the potatoes for about a month, starting in early May in Pearsall, Texas, according to a news release.

April 22, 2020

Michael Family Farms launches new website to help educate consumers on products

Studies show that 70-80% of people research a company online before making a purchase. Shoppers search to find information about their potential food purchases in addition to the companies that produce it and what they stand for.

April 17, 2020

An Idaho farm is giving away 2 million potatoes because coronavirus has hurt demand

With coronavirus severely affecting the potato supply chain, a farm in Idaho is giving away about 2 million potatoes so they don't go to waste. First come, first served.

April 14, 2020

Technomic Updates View of Covid-19 Impact on US Foodservice Sector

As of April 13, the novel coronavirus pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China late last year had been attributed to over 119,000 deaths worldwide, of which more than 23,000 have been recorded in the United States and more than 10,000 in New York alone.

Idahoan Buttery Homestyle Mashed Potatoes

April 13, 2020

Retail demand for dehydrated potato products skyrockets

While food manufacturers supplying to foodservice are suffering from lost revenue and layoffs, companies primarily serving retail customers are faced with exactly the opposite. One example is potato processor Idahoan Foods.

April 08, 2020

2019 a Banner Year for Potato Sales - 2020 Very Concerning

The utilization of U.S. grown potatoes increased by 3.3% in volume in 2019 compared to 2018, an increase of 1,183 million pounds.

April 07, 2020

Potato Processor Lamb Weston Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2020 Results

Last week Lamb Weston presented its Fiscal Third Quarter 2020 Results. The company withdraws its Fiscal Year 2020 Outlook due to Uncertainty from the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Global Restaurant Traffic and Consumer Demand.

April 06, 2020

Food processing equipment company lends technology to hospitals in COVID-19 battle

Reyco Systems normally supports the food industry exclusively, but now hospitals across Idaho have asked the Caldwell-based company for help in the fight against the new coronavirus.

April 03, 2020

State of Snacking 2020: How America Snacks During and Despite COVID-19

The last few years have proven that snacking in the U.S. has become a lifestyle, with consumers snacking across the day. At the same time, COVID-19 is having an immediate impact on consumers’ food and beverage purchase and consumption behaviors.

April 03, 2020

SNAXPO Rescheduled for March 28-30, 2021, Charlotte, NC

Snack Industry's Full Equipment Supply Chain Trade Show Remains in Charlotte, Rescheduled for 2021; New 'SNX' Education and Collaboration Forum Rescheduled to March 2022.