Harvest of the new potato crop is beginning in Idaho. "While some growers have started, we won't start for another week. That's pretty consistent with when we normally begin," says Ryan Wahlen of Pleasant Valley Potato, adding that its harvest generally begins somewhere between August 13th and 20th.
For the grower-shipper, storage crop shipments finished up over a week ago, though some shippers are still working from storage crop.
This start follows a summer of good growing conditions for Idaho potatoes. "In fact, the growing season has really been nice all year. I can't think of anything that has impacted the crop detrimentally," says Wahlen, adding that the acreage on the crop is down slightly.
© Pleasant Valley Potato
Sizing compared to 2024 crop
Yields are expected to be good with a slightly better size profile on the potatoes than the 2024-2025 crop saw.
As for demand, it's been steady throughout the year, and it's expected to stay that way. "There are some indicators that the economy is improving, and I hope that translates into increased demand for fresh potatoes," says Wahlen.
Meanwhile, pricing right now looks fairly similar to last year at this time. "There's a .50 cent/case on average difference for the larger counts, and on some smaller sizes, pricing is better now than it was last season at this point by a few dollars a case," Wahlen says. With improved sizing this season, that means there may be less of a price gap between the larger and smaller counts. "We're optimistic overall with the quality and size profile of the crop, and with potentially increased demand, we could have a good year."
For more information:
Ryan Wahlen
Pleasant Valley Potato
Tel: +1 (208) 397-4194
[email protected]
http://www.pleasantvalleypotato.com/
