US Potato Acreage Hits 74-Year Low as Price Collapse Reshapes North American Supply
Key takeaways
- 353,290.57 hectares planted across 13 US states in 2026
- 3 years in a row of falling US potato planted area
- 5.1% cut in Idaho plantings, to 298,915 acres in 2026
- 11.20 dollars per cwt was the average 2025/26 US price
60-second summary
US potato planted area fell to 353,290.57 hectares across 13 states in 2026, down 3% from 2025 and the smallest since 1952, according to USDA NASS. This marks the third straight year of acreage declines, driven by weak prices during the 2025/26 season, which averaged $11.20 per hundredweight. Idaho, the top producing state, cut plantings by 15,000 acres (-5.1%) to 298,915 acres, while Nebraska posted a record 10% cut. Idaho growers call the crop the smallest since 2011, even as prices have climbed to their highest level since summer 2023, one farmer said. The pattern echoes Europe's 2025-2026 cycle, where a price collapse triggers acreage cuts that sow the seeds of a future shortage with roughly a one-year lag. The US case suggests this boom-bust dynamic is a structural feature of the global potato market, not a uniquely European one. Low prices from the prior season keep shaping planting decisions, setting up tighter supply and firmer prices across North America in the seasons ahead.
According to USDA NASS, potato planted area across 13 states fell to 353,290.57 hectares in 2026 — down 3% from 2025 and the smallest figure since 1952. It marks the third consecutive year of declining acreage, driven by persistently low prices during the 2025/26 season, which averaged just $11.20 per hundredweight. Idaho, the leading producing state, cut plantings by 15,000 acres (−5.1%) to 298,915 acres, while Nebraska posted a record 10% reduction. Growers in Idaho now describe the crop as the “smallest since 2011,” even as prices have climbed to their highest level since summer 2023, according to farmer R. Valen.
The dynamics mirror the cycle observed in Europe during 2025–2026: a price collapse triggers acreage cuts, which in turn sow the seeds of future shortage — with a lag of roughly one year. What makes the US case significant is that it demonstrates the pattern is not a purely European phenomenon but a structural feature of the global potato market. As low prices from the previous season continue to depress planting decisions, the stage is being set for tighter supply and firmer prices across North America in the seasons ahead.
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