Some farmers in Idaho have such extreme surpluses that they are dumping potato crops, and dairy farms have begun feeding the potatoes to their cattle.
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AccuWeather Global Weather Center – Amid lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, businesses, and industries are suffering from COVID-19 – and potato farmers are no exception.
Despite a growing demand in grocery stores, potato prices have plummeted in the last few weeks due to social distancing guidelines and a lack of demand in restaurants and the food industry. Just weeks prior, the industry was looking at the best prices in recent memory and even projections for a summer shortage, The Associated Press reported.
The cost for a 50-pound carton of restaurant-grade potatoes in the Twin Falls and Burley district hovered between $22 and $23 on March 13 but had dropped to somewhere between $10 and $12 by April 16.
Some farmers in Idaho have such extreme surpluses that they are dumping potato crops, and dairy farms have begun feeding the potatoes to their cattle.
Last week, photos like the one below, shared by Molly Page, a Hailey, Idaho, local, emerged on social media showing mountains of potatoes going to waste after being dumped by farmers.
“I heard about the farmers dumping the potatoes through a local farmer or rancher who I know here,” Page told AccuWeather in a Skype interview. “And it was heartbreaking to see, you know just seeing this huge pile of potatoes that, you know they didn’t have a market for. So that compelled me and a group of people here to act.”
Using the advantage of a small town and her history of community outreach, Page organized a 25-person “potato rescue team” to help gather the dumped potatoes and bring the spuds to those who need food in the Hailey and Ketchum, two towns in Blaine County, Idaho, about 160 miles east of Boise.
