The Idaho Potato Commission has increased its budget for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2026, following stronger potato production in 2025 and additional revenue from its funding sources.

The commission’s board voted on March 18 to raise the current budget by $610,000, according to reporting by Capital Press. The additional spending will support retail and foodservice promotion, commissioner travel, and the early retirement of a funding commitment tied to a seed potato germplasm laboratory at the University of Idaho.

Idaho Potato Commission CEO Jamey Higham said the state’s potato sector is entering the planting season with strong market momentum. “We’ve got good momentum to move this crop and get it out of the way of the crop that is starting to be planted,” he told Capital Press.

The commission is funded through a tax on all Idaho-grown potatoes, currently set at 12.5 cents per hundredweight. Those funds are used for marketing, research, and education, with the annual budget standing at around $15 million.

Under the approved amendment, the commission will allocate an additional $100,000 to retail promotion and another $100,000 to foodservice promotion. A further $35,000 will go toward commissioner travel. The largest single item, $375,000, will be used to retire the commission’s remaining obligation to help fund the seed potato germplasm laboratory that opened in early 2022 on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow.

According to the report, the commission had three years left on a 10-year commitment to contribute $125,000 annually toward the laboratory. Paying off that obligation now is expected to free up future budget room.

Higham said the money behind the current budget increase comes from tax revenue generated by the larger 2025 crop, as well as current and anticipated proceeds from the World Famous Potatoes license plate approved by the legislature and available since July 1.

He said the added promotional spending could be used to work with retailers and foodservice companies to boost Idaho potato sales, including through incentives linked to sales volume.

Looking ahead, Higham indicated that removing the University of Idaho funding obligation from next year’s budget could create further flexibility. “We can find some more research and education spending opportunities, and opportunities for promotion,” he said.