IDAHO FALLS, ID - Whoever coined the phrase “couch potato” has a thing or two to learn about the category. If by couch potato you mean healthy, dependable, and titillating, then sure, you can put that on my tombstone! Any other definition is simply untrue. Given the wide array of benefits that come along with eating potatoes, it’s no wonder why the delicious spuds are in high demand this time of year. Dallin Klinger of Marketing and Communications at Eagle Eye Produce knows all about the wondrous tubers, so I reached out to hear his thoughts on the state of the potato market this time of year.
“The potato market is steady currently—at higher than historical prices for this time frame. Supply is light and demand is good. We should see the demand continue to increase in the coming weeks,” Dallin explained. “We have seen a spike in prices due to the tight supply nationally, which is even more dramatic with the larger-sized potatoes. Historically, prices would plateau during the holidays, but they are higher than they have been in over a decade during this time.”
According to Dallin, the eastern Idaho harvest was prolonged due to a significant frost in early October, meaning the national supply is expected to be a bit tighter than last year. However, Eagle Eye’s crops in Nevada and Washington finished on schedule earlier in the month. The company is now shipping all storage crop potatoes from all of its growing regions.
“The quality of our potato crops is excellent, especially those harvested the earliest this fall,” said Dallin. “Our sizing is good, on the smaller side, but should be fairly similar to what we had last year. Nationally, we have some concerns due to an early frost that could factor into how potatoes store this season, but we feel confident in our supply. The overall effects of the frost will take time to fully surface as the season progresses.”
Here’s to more persevering potato crops in the East! To stay up to date on the status of all produce categories, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
