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Besides labor, the biggest challenges these days are in freight — not just rates, but having the trucks available to carry freight.

Foodservice demand is coming back for Idaho-eastern Oregon onion marketers, but it is complicated.

U.S. onion exports in the 12 months from July 2020 to June 2021 rose 10%, according to new trade numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nyssa, Ore.-based Snake River Produce is gearing up for another Northwest onion season, with plans to offer yellow, red, white and sweet onions from mid-August to early April.

Greenhouses for lettuce and leafy greens are being built at a rapid pace across the U.S. In contrast, in neighboring Mexico there is no similar greenhouse production and in Canada there is very little.

Though their early season sizing and yields were off compared with a year ago, Idaho-eastern Oregon onion shippers predicted a quality crop of onions this year.

Government statistics show the final value of Idaho’s 2020 potato crop sold totaled $912 million, down 5% from 2019.

Whether it is the COVID-19 pandemic, strange weather, or the erratic foodservice market, the Idaho potato industry can handle it.

Higher trucking costs are one of the season’s biggest potholes for Idaho potato grower-shippers this season.

Yields are down but sizes are up for Idaho potatoes this year, industry leaders report.