Idaho’s 2017 Fresh Prices Raise National Average

Published online: Sep 20, 2018 Articles Chris Koger
Viewed 1945 time(s)

Source: The Packer 

Sales of table stock potatoes in the 2017-18 season totaled 107 million hundredweight, a 6 percent drop from the previous year, but the national average price rose $1.13, to $11.73 per hundredweight, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA released its annual summary of the previous season on Sept. 13. Overall production for the season, including frozen and dehydrated products, on 1.02 million acres was 442 million hundredweight, compared to 1.09 million acres and 441 million hundredweight in the 2016-17 season.

While the fall harvest of all potatoes, including those for processors, yielded 401 million hundredweight, a 1 percent drop from the previous fall, spring potato production was 19.8 million hundredweight, 30 percent more than the previous year, and summer production was 21.7 million hundredweight, an 11 percent increase from year to year.

Those four states and average prices received for fresh potatoes (per cwt.), are:

  • Idaho — $7.14 in 2017, $4.90 in 2016, and $5.55 in 2015;
  • Colorado — $10.80 in 2017, $11.20 in 2016, and $9.95 in 2015;
  • North Dakota —$9.86 in 2017, and $15.10 in 2016 (2015 data withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations, according to USDA);
  • Wisconsin — $13.60 in 2017, $13.70 in 2016, and $9.45 in 2015; and
  • U.S. average —$11.73 in 2017, $10.60 in 2016, and $9.79 in 2015.