For the next month or so, potato lovers may need to look beyond the russet from Idaho for their French fry or baked potato fix.
"It's not unusual for there to be a shortage of Idaho potatoes in August,” Idaho Potato Commission President and CEO Jamey Higham told The Packer in an email. “We plant only one potato crop a year, which is harvested in September, and our goal every year is to sell all the potatoes before the new crop is harvested. This year, the shortage happened a little earlier than previous years."
The longer lead time between dwindling Idaho potato availability and the arrival of the new crop has created a more noticeable gap in spud supplies.
“The Idaho potato industry as a whole is facing extremely short supplies from August to September,” says Donald Russo, senior category manager for the Bronx, N.Y.-based Baldor Specialty Foods. “While this is somewhat typical, as storage winds down and we wait for the next crop, this year is different.”
What caused the intense shortage this year? Russo points to the “Mother Nature factor.”
Very hot, dry and smoky conditions during the 2021 growing season cut down 25%-30% of yields across Idaho, said Russo, who added that smoke from wildfires in California and Colorado created cloud cover in Idaho and prohibited plants from getting adequate sun.
“Poor weather during the growing season really decreased volume, and the quality of open storage-shed potatoes didn't hold up,” he noted.
With fewer No. 1 potatoes to market, growers turned to processors.
“What we saw in June was a lot of processors offering double the price for a dump truck of potatoes,” Russo said. “It used to be $6 for 100 pounds [of ungraded potatoes] and now it's $13-$14 per 100 pounds."
Another benefit to growers selling ungraded potatoes to processors is that they can do so without fear of their product being rejected, added Russo.
But the shortage won't last forever.
“Harvest is getting underway this week and production will ramp up over the next several weeks,” Higham said. “Potato supplies will be back in full swing soon."
Until then, Russo has a few suggestions for retailers and foodservice operators hoping to avoid the potato pinch.
“Be size flexible. Be region flexible. Be open to exploring other varieties,” he says. “There are going to be potatoes — they just might not be Idaho potatoes.”
Baldor is leveraging its relationships with farmers and suppliers across the category and attacking the potato shortage in several ways, notes Russo. The company sources a variety of potatoes from Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Maine as well as from local New York farmers.
Retailers also should be open to lesser-known and specialty varieties including Kennebec, organic Upstate Abundance, blue or red organic Adirondacks, and organic Magic Molly potatoes, he added.
Looking ahead, Russo anticipates a “slow ramp up,” as the supply chain gets filled again. He also expects average yields for the upcoming season, with strong pricing, especially at the start.