News on Potato Cultivation from Idaho

Farmers all across Idaho will be in their fields from now through most of October collecting the state's signature crop.

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.

Total acres of Idaho’s iconic potato crop could decrease significantly this year as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Although there was a rush on potatoes at grocery stores early on.

With coronavirus severely affecting the potato supply chain, a farm in Idaho is giving away about 2 million potatoes so they don't go to waste. First come, first served.

The Idaho Potato Commission will seek the attorney general's guidance on a funding request by a recently formed association of growers.

Potato virus Y is the most economically important and devastating aphid-transmitted virus, affecting both tuber yield and quality. The virus is also a major cause of seed potato degeneration, which leads to regular flushing out of seed potatoes.

With demand for organically-grown produce continuing to increase, Wada Farm Marketing Group LLC in Idaho Falls, ID, made a commitment several years ago to greatly expand its organic offerings across all of its product lines.

The combined complementary footprint of Simplot Grower Solutions and Pinnacle stores will grow to more than 200 locations across North America.

As of November 12, 2019 seed potatoes from Montana and Colorado can be used in the Pacific Northwest chipping and tablestock export programs for South Korea.

The focus for Potandon Produce LLC at the New York Produce Show this year will be on the health benefits of potatoes, and particularly of some of Potandon’s proprietary products.

Spudnik Equipment Company has reached an agreement to buy STC Trailers, according to a recent press release. Terms were not disclosed. Both companies are headquartered in Blackfoot, Idaho. The acquisition will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Potato grower and packer Wilcox Fresh has appointed Justin Reynolds as the company’s new CEO.

Idaho potato farmers are getting paid about the same amount for their spuds as they're investing in raising them, according to a University of Idaho Extension agricultural economist's report, presented during the Idaho Potato Conference.

Wada Farms announced this week it has entered into a strategic partnership with organic potato packer Genesis Organics located in Southern Idaho.

Idaho potato fields looked good as of early July as plants closed in over rows, signaling the tubers are preparing to grow strongly amid the hot-day, cool-night march toward harvest.

Potato growers in Idaho will now have the opportunity to learn about the presence of damaging fungal pathogens much earlier, thanks to the efforts of research staff at the University of Idaho. The research team, led by James Woodhall, has placed 14 spore samplers in potato fields across the Snake River Valley.

The USDA reported the preliminary estimated value for the Idaho® Potato crop of 2017 at USD 1.2 billion, a 22.7% leap from the previous year.

The National Potato Council (NPC) led a delegation of 6 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff on a tour of Idaho potato fields during the week of August 14.