Idaho is on track to produce its smallest potato crop since 2011, hammered by back-to-back late frosts in May and sustained summer heat in July and August. Two freezes hit emerging plants — the first dropping to 23 degrees — and growers who escaped the first frost were caught by the second. Summer heat made it nearly impossible to bulk up and size the crop, and water curtailment added additional stress.
Acreage is also down: Idaho growers planted an estimated 298,915 acres this year, compared to 315,000 last year — the fourth-fewest planted acres in the last 70 years. Poor pricing in 2025 was the primary driver of that pullback. While quality is actually good on the smaller-sized profile coming out of the ground, overall volume is significantly short.
Pricing is already at its highest level since summer 2023, and one grower says that strength may not let up. Watch for tightening supply to become a real issue by spring, when stored crop typically carries orders through summer — that pipeline looks materially smaller this year.