mi-press-releases News Release NR-12-11 February 16, 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office Michigan Department of Agriculture Post Office Box 30239 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 Phone: (517) 324-5300 Facsimile: (517) 324-5299 E-mail: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web site: www.nass.usda.gov Jay V. Johnson, Director February Potato Stocks Fall potato stocks in Michigan on February 1, 2012, were estimated at 4.7 million hundredweight (cwt), according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. February's stocks represent 31 percent of the total production, down 20 percent from last year's 5.9 million cwt. Stocks by type were 84 percent round white and 16 percent russet. Stocks include potatoes stored by both processors and growers. Michigan disappearance of this year's crop, from harvest to February 1, 2012, totaled 10.48 million cwt. Disappearance from last year's crop during the comparable time period was 9.76 million cwt. Disappearance includes sales, shrink, and waste. The 13 major potato States held 187 million cwt of potatoes in storage February 1, 2012, up 4 percent from a year ago. Potatoes in storage accounted for 49 percent of the 2011 fall storage States' production, one percentage point below February 1, 2011. Potato disappearance, at 193 million cwt, was 9 percent above February 1, 2011. Season-to-date shrink and loss, at 19.3 million cwt, was up 16 percent from the same date in 2011. Processors in the 9 major States have used 106 million cwt of potatoes this season, up 15 percent from the same period last year. Dehydrating usage accounted for 20.9 million cwt of the total processing, up 53 percent from last year. Fall potatoes: Production and stocks, 2009-2011 crop years ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Michigan : 13 Major States Item :----------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2009 : 2010 : 2011 1/ : 2009 : 2010 : 2011 1/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 cwt : Production : 15,660 15,660 15,180 383,962 357,191 379,916 Stocks : Dec 1 : 9,000 9,300 8,600 265,800 240,200 250,000 Jan 1 : 7,100 7,600 234,300 209,400 Feb 1 : 5,300 5,900 4,700 203,500 180,300 186,900 Mar 1 : 3,500 4,100 169,700 148,500 Apr 1 : 1,700 2,300 128,700 111,000 May 1 : 900 89,610 72,000 Jun 1 : 55,120 41,320 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ January, March, and May Stocks have been discontinued.