A look at Idaho crop acres in 2025

By Sean Ellis

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

POCATELLO – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service projects Idaho’s planted potato acres total 315,000 this year, the same as last year.

The Idaho Potato Commission did its own comprehensive potato acre count and came up with 313,045 spud acres planted in the state in 2025.

Of that total, the IPC estimates about 32,850 acres are designated for seed potato production.

According to NASS, 912,000 acres of potatoes were planted in the United States this year, down from 930,000 last year.

Idaho remains the No. 1 potato-producing state in the nation.

Industry projections earlier in the year estimated spud acreage would be down this year, due to plentiful supply and low farm-level prices.

While the Idaho spud acreage may be higher than many people expected, IPC President and CEO Jamey Higham said Gem State farmers will find a home for this year’s crop.

“We’ll sell them, one way or another,” he said.

The spud acreage projections are contained in a June 30 NASS report, which also estimated planted acres of other major crops. The report includes national as well as state-level estimates.

It projects Idaho farmers planted 540,000 acres of barley this year, up slightly from 530,000 last year. Idaho normally leads the nation in total barley production and will again this year.

Idaho Barley Commission Executive Director Laura Wilder said farmers are a long way from having grain in the bin this year, but she believes this year’s crop will be close to last year’s as far as total production.

“From what I’m hearing in the field … the crop will be fairly even with last year,” she said.

It could be up or down a few percentage points, depending on growing conditions, she said. “People are feeling the crop is looking really good at this point.”

NASS projects planted Idaho wheat acres at 1.2 million this year, down slightly from 1.21 million last year, and it estimates Idaho hay acres at 1.17 million, down from 1.25 million in 2024.

It has Idaho alfalfa hay acreage in 2025 at 890,000, down from 940,000 in 2024. Idaho has led the nation in total alfalfa production in recent years.

Sugar beet acres in Idaho are projected at 169,000 in 2025, down from 173,000 in 2024.

Planted Idaho corn acres are estimated at 390,000, up from 380,000, and chickpea acreage is projected at 96,000, down from 97,000.

According to the NASS report, Idaho now leads the nation in total safflower acres. It estimates Idaho farmers planted 32,000 acres of safflower this year, up from 18,500 last year.

That puts Idaho at No. 1 for that crop, ahead of California, which dropped from 38,000 planted acres last year to 30,000 this year.

In Idaho, safflower is mainly grown in the eastern part of the state, said Rockland dryland farmer Cory Kress, who planted 900 acres of safflower this year, more than normal, in anticipation of a hot and dry summer.

“Safflower is super drought-tolerant,” he said.

According to NASS, Idaho farmers planted 87,000 acres of canola this year, down from 97,000 last year.

Idaho dry bean acreage was projected at 55,000 acres, up from 45,000 last year, and dry edible pea acreage is estimated at 21,000 acres, up from 11,000.

NASS projects Idaho farmers planted 4.07 million acres of principal crops in 2025, down slightly from 4.14 million last year. Principal crops include potatoes, corn, oats, barley, rye, winter wheat, wheat, sunflower, dry edible beans, chickpeas, sugar beets, and canola.

According to the Census of Agriculture, Idaho has 22,800-plus farmers and ranchers and more than 11 million acres of land in farming. This includes 5.6 million acres of cropland and 5 million acres of pastureland.