The North American potato industry is anxiously waiting to see how many acres of potatoes Idaho growers will plant in 2026. Packers have been aggressively shipping the 2025 crop since harvest began. Season-to-date table potato shipments from Idaho’s 2025 crop are running 12% ahead of the 2024 pace. Despite strong table potato movement, open-market prices remain extremely low. Russet table potato prices, which are down 68%-87% from the previous year, have steadily declined since last August. The Idaho Grower Returns Index (GRI) is currently at $1.89 per cwt, compared to $5.96 per cwt a year ago. Several factors including current market conditions, contract volumes, production costs, crop rotations, irrigation water supplies, and profit margins for alternative crops could influence planting decisions this year.
Though water availability has not been a limiting factor in the past, some industry experts believe the current water challenges might limit Idaho’s potato acreage in 2026. The Upper Snake River reservoir system is currently at 69% capacity. That is 96% of average, but it is nearly 16% lower than it was at this time last year. The American Falls reservoir is 79% full. Palisades and Jackson Lake are at 50% and 74% capacity, respectively. Though southern Idaho has received very little snow this winter, the area has had a fair amount of rain. The snow-water-equivalent for the Snake River Basin above American Falls is currently at 72% of the median. On the other hand, water year-to-date precipitation is 105% of the median.
U.S. packers shipped 1.661 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending March 21. That is down from 1.746 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 54,566 cwt during the week ending March 21. That is up from 50,322 cwt shipped during the same week in 2025. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 70.3% russets, 23.3% yellow potatoes, and 6.4% round white potatoes.
USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for mostly $10-$11 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling size A russets in 5-pound bags for $11-$12 per 50-pound bale, also unchanged. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $7-$7.50 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $10 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $8.91 per cwt, unchanged from the previous week.
Red River Valley packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for $12-$15 per bale, up from $12-$14 per bale a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes $12-$14 per 50-pound box, up from $12-$13 per 50-pound box last week. They are also selling size A yellow potatoes in 2,000-pound tote bags for $16-$22 per cwt, up from $16-$18 per cwt a week ago. Red River Valley packers are selling yellow creamers for $25-$30 per 50-pound carton, unchanged from last week.
Florida packers are selling 50-pound cartons of size A round white potatoes for $32-$34.70 per box, up from $31.50-$33.75 per box last week. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size B round white potatoes for $22.25-$25.75 per box, unchanged from a week ago. They are also selling round white creamers for $40-$46 per 50-pound carton, also unchanged.
– This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission.