Recent news reports says a drop in prices has some Idaho potato growers concerned, but the Idaho Potato Commission remains optimistic that the price situation will stabilize.
Commission CEO Frank Muir says this year’s carton prices have gone down, while bag prices have gone up, just not as quickly as growers would like them to.
He also says the IPC has indications that prices are going up, although they aren’t being reported that way.
“Prices tend to fluctuate in the early part of a season. We believe that prices will stabilize and will increase as the year moves forward,” said Muir.
He also said everything’s being done to ensure growers are getting fair prices for their products, and encourages growers to do everything in their power to get fair returns.
“People love Idaho potatoes. It is truly America’s favorite vegetable. As the Idaho potato commission, we’re going to make sure it remains that way,” said Muir.
According to the IPC, Idaho will harvest about 13 billion pounds of potatoes this year. As America’s number one potato provider, Idaho crops represent 1/3 of the nation’s potatoes
