Koompin Farms

Koompin Farms

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Kam and Klaren Clarin Koompin of Koompin Brothers Farms from American Falls, Idaho, reflect on their potato year this year. “Things were going really good. Fresh market look like maybe two years in a row was going to be decent. Seed was an issue going into this year, seed was short. Get a little seed and had a spot for it because it was either that or if you're going to grow an open potato, it might as well be one that somebody wants.

It was a big change this year. The coronavirus caused a lot of havoc, whether you agree with how they're handling it as far as shutting down, but caught everybody flatfooted and blind, pretty devastating to the potato industry. And it wiped out a lot of the market, not only here, but Asia and Asia was a big deal for the domestic markets and big deal for us and people and the fresh industry showed a little spark there for about 10 days. But the amount of French fries eating out of restaurants is a huge deal and baked potatoes.

I know this year we had got up to 13 dollars open price at the end of February and there was no reason for potatoes burbanks not to be 15 to 16 dollars. As we're speaking right now, that's where it was going.

The demand was climbing, had been for the last five years and potatoes were short. Idaho had enough potatoes to supply the market. And there was a lot of people after them. But when you chop demand by a third in about five days, it doesn't take long to create a big wreck.

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