Fresh potato shipments expected to be down from last year

U.S. fresh potato shipments are expected to be down nearly 4% from last year, according to North American Potato Market News (NAPMN).

American shippers are projected to move 85.05 million hundredweight (cwt) from this year’s crop, which would be the lowest in modern history. Expected lower yields in Idaho from excessive heat during the growing season is part of the reason for the lower projection.

In all, Idaho fresh shipments are expected to be down 5% from 2020, but close to par with 2019. Idaho, at 35 million cwt, is the largest shipper of fresh potatoes in the U.S. by a wide margin. Colorado, the second-largest shipper of fresh potatoes, is expected to move 13.7 million, which is down nearly 9% from 2020, but close to the 2019 total.

Additionally, late season rainfall in Wisconsin has led to a significant loss of fresh potatoes, which is projected to keep the state’s fresh shipments down 5.6%. Wisconsin Potato & Vegetables Growers Association Executive Director Tamas Houlihan told Spudman on Sept. 9 that the damage was still being assessed.

Washington fresh shipments are expected to be about 6.2 million cwt, which is down 10% from last year and 19% from 2019.