The Idaho Grower Shippers Association (www.idahoshippers.org/) has released its latest findings on costs related to potato packers in Idaho.
The overall goal of this project is to provide the Idaho potato packing and shipping industry with an unbiased and consistently calculated estimate of the cost of packing potatoes in Idaho, and to track the change in packaging costs per hundredweight over time.
Data was collected from packers with a voluntary online survey. The project was conducted by Eborn Agribusiness LLC and funded by the Idaho Grower Shippers Association.
Idaho Packing Costs
2020-2023 (estimate)
(% change per cwt)
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23e
Operating Costs % change % change % change
Packaging 23.6% 19.2% 13.7%
Labor & Management 17.3% 9.5% 9.0%
Repairs & Shop Supplies 6.6% 9.6% 12.1%
Chemicals 21.1% 22.5% minus 12.0%
Scoop & Haul 7.0% 22.0% 0.8%
Other Operating NA NA 12.2%
Total Operating Costs 18.2% 15.3% 10.2%
Ownership Costs
Overhead NA NA 21.0%
Interest NA NA 66.7%
Depreciation NA NA 41.5%
Total Ownership Costs NA NA 30.0%
Total Packing Costs NA NA 13.6%