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

The Boards of Directors of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh) have reached an Agreement in Principle to create a new global trade association combining their resources and expertise.

The National Potato Council(NPC) and 26 leading food and agriculture associations have expressed concerns over the rapid deterioration of the trade relationship between the United States and Mexico

On February 17, 2021, the Mexican Supreme Court released a draft ruling that would overturn a 2017 lower court decision preventing the Mexican federal government from implementing regulations to allow the import of fresh US potatoes throughout the country.

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.

In the end, 2020 was a pretty good year for Idaho’s iconic potato industry, but it sure wasn’t easy.

With the inauguration of US President Biden a week behind us now, Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council discusses what the impact of the new administration on the potato industry might be.

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.

There was a 5% decline in the utilization of potatoes grown in the United States during the July 2019 – June 2020 marketing year (MY20).

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.

A WSU study has estimated the 2020 economic losses from potato production and processing in Washington. The demand shocks of COVID-19 resulted in a hit of roughly $1 billion dollars in gross state product.

The potato harvest is now underway in the Red River Valley. Yields are all over the board ranging from poor to excellent. Most of the fields with poor yields were damaged by heavy rain that fell on, and around June 30th.

The Idaho potato harvest has started. For Eagle Eye Produce, the harvest kicked off in central Idaho during the first week of August with their russet potatoes.

Retail potato sales in the United States are soaring, increasing 31% in dollar sales and 32% in volume sales between March 16, 2020 and June 14, 2020, according to IRI.

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.