The results of the 2005 potato disposition and utilization survey show the value of New York's 2005 potato crop to be $63.8 million, 49 percent above the 2004 value, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York office.

Production was up 1 percent from 2004. Sales increased 1 percent and the average price per hundredweight (cwt.) was $12.20, or $3.95 more than the 2004 price of $8.25.

Total 2005 potato production is estimated at 424 million cwt, up 1 percent from the estimate made in the January Annual Crop Summary but 7 percent below the 2004 crop.  Harvested area, at 1.09 million acres, decreased 7 percent from a year ago.  This is the lowest harvested acres on record since the series began in 1866.  The average yield of 390 cwt per acre is down 1 cwt from the record high set in 2004 but 23 cwt above the average yield from the 2003 crop.

The value of all potatoes sold in 2005 is estimated at $2.76 billion, up 18 percent from the previous year.  The average price, at $7.06 per cwt, is up $1.40 from a year earlier.  Sales from the 2005 potato crop totaled 391 million cwt, down 6 percent from 2004.

Sales account for 92 percent of 2005 production. Non-sales account for 33.3 million cwt, 21 percent below the previous year.  Over the past five years, 92 percent of the potatoes grown have been sold.  The other 8 percent were either lost (shrinkage and loss) or used on farms where grown (seed, home use, and livestock feed).

Processors used 246 million cwt of raw potatoes from the 2005 crop, down 5 percent from a year earlier.  Table stock sales totaled 120 million cwt, 8 percent below the previous year.  Seed sales of 22.3 million cwt are down 3 percent from 2004.  Sales for livestock

feed, at 2.00 million cwt, are up 3 percent from a year earlier.