The yields of Idaho potatoes are good. "The size profile is nice and really, we couldn't ask for better potatoes," says Ryan Wahlen of Pleasant Valley Potato, adding that this follows almost perfect growing conditions for potatoes all year. "It got a little hot towards the tail end of the season but it was not so hot that it curtailed the development of the crop."
© Christensen Harvest c/o Pleasant Valley Potato
Planting the crop started on time this year around early April and finished up largely by the first part of May. Harvest began about the third week of August. Harvest finished up in the second week of October.
As for demand for potatoes, it's average. "I don't think it's any different than we had at this time last year. Last year, there wasn't much of a gap between the storage crop and the new crop so there was some overlap," Wahlen says. "There's always a bit of overlap but maybe not as pronounced as we saw this summer. That's part of the problem."
© Kim Wahlen Harvest c/o Pleasant Valley Potato
Pricing to improve in 2026?
That's leaving pricing relatively soft. "Whenever there's not much of a gap between the old and new crop, it's hard to build any kind of pricing momentum with the new season," he says. "Typically the market doesn't change a lot from the end of harvest until the holiday season or even the first part of January. So it's been a really rough harvest for the growers on their returns. Our growers still see huge increases in their costs but a decline in the price of their products." That said, pricing on cartons may see a bump in January, though any real increase likely won't be seen until spring.
© Val Wahlen c/o Pleasant Valley Potato
He does add that there are notable promotional opportunities for retailers. "I don't know that they'll ever have a season with a more promotable crop than the one we have right now," says Wahlen. "Supplies are good and the quality of the crop is good or better than we've had in years so it's an opportunity for them to gain market share."
For more information:
Ryan Wahlen
Pleasant Valley Potato
Tel: +1 (208) 397-4194
[email protected]
http://www.pleasantvalleypotato.com/
