News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from the United States

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is changing the name of the Fruit and Vegetable Program to the Specialty Crops Program effective immediately. Because of the expansion of products covered, the program name is being changed to be more inclusive.

Wada Farms is currently planting next year’s crop. While potatoes from last season are still plentiful in the market and there is no issue with supply, large-sized Russet potatoes will be short in Idaho until new crop comes on.

The 13 major potato States held 130 million cwt of potatoes in storage April 1, 2015, up 9 percent from April 2014.

Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative growers have agreed to a contract that slightly reduces potato prices but requires processors to accept at least 90 percent of their 2014 acreages with individual farms.

New research from the United States Potato Board (USPB) reveals the complexity and range of price sensitivities within the potato category.

Columbia Basin potato processors slowed down during the West Coast port impasse, making fewer potatoes into french fries, hash browns and other potato products shipped around the world.

Idaho is currently confronted with the unusual situation that large Russet potatoes are far more expensive than small Russets and the price gap is only increasing.

A former Potato Growers of Idaho executive director believes Idaho’s capacity to produce and pack potatoes has outgrown the market, at the expense of growers.

Port disruptions on the West Coast due to labor contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) are hurting Idaho agriculture and Idaho’s exporters.

The value of all U.S. potato exports reached $1,755,544,515 for the recently completed July 2013 – June 2014 marketing year. This is an expanded version of an earlier publication.

The value of all U.S. potato exports was $1,755,544,515 for the recently completed July 2013 – June 2014 marketing year. This is a 7% increase over the previous record set in 2012/13.

In the first week of June, an Idaho potato grower could expect to receive between $7.75 and $8.25 for 100 pounds of potatoes, depending on quality, according to data. In the first week of July, prices had fallen to between $4.25 and $4.75.

The National Potato Council (NPC) and the United States Potato Board (USPB) are pleased that effective today, May 19, 2014, the Mexican government has implemented its final rule to allow U.S. fresh potatoes to enter all of Mexico.

Potato Processor Cavendish Farms of Jamestown, North Dakota, United States, has reduced its contracts with Manitoba growers (Canada) to 305,000 hundredweight for 2014

Farmers in Aroostook, Maine brace for a tough year as processors pay less and reduce orders by as much as 20 percent.

There are two likely scenarios facing U.S. potato growers in the 2014-15 season, and neither of them is sunny, according to Jerry Wright, president and chief executive officer of the United Potato Growers of America, Salt Lake City.

Idaho potato farmers who sell to McCain Foods have agreed to a contract that maintains roughly the same pricing as last season, said Dan Hargraves, who negotiated on their behalf as executive director of Southern Idaho Potato Cooperative.

The Potato Marketing Association of North America held a special spring meeting this past week in Las Vegas, NV to discuss progress on the 2014 pre-season potato contract negotiations.