The USDA NASS
 New York Field Office
"Fact Finders for Agriculture"

 POTATOES

Released February 16, 2007
Seasonal
No. 987-2-07

NEW YORK POTATO STOCKS DECREASE

Potato stocks, held for all purposes on February 1, 2007 by New York growers, dealers, and processors, totaled 1.10 million hundredweight (cwt.), down 35 percent from last year. The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office estimated disappearance in January 2007 at 810,000 cwt., up 35 percent from last year.  Storage accounted for 19 percent of the 2006 potato production, down 11 percent from a year ago. 

The 13 major potato States held 188 million cwt of potatoes in storage February 1, 2007, down 1 percent from last year and 7 percent below February 1, 2005, for comparable States.  Ohio and Pennsylvania were dropped from the potato stocks program starting with the 2005 storage season.  Potatoes in storage account for 49 percent of the 2006 fall storage States' production, down 1 percent from last year.  Stocks by type were 3 percent red, 10 percent round white, 2 percent long white (Shepody), and 85 percent russets, with a smaller percentage of russets but a larger percentage of red and round whites than a year ago for comparable States.  The amount of long whites remained the same. 

Disappearance of 194 million cwt from the start of harvest to February 1 is up 8 percent from last year for comparable States. Shrink and loss, at 18.2 million cwt, is up 5 percent from last year for comparable States.   

Processors have used 106 million cwt of 2006 crop potatoes so far this season, up 10 percent from a year ago and 5 percent above 2 years ago.  Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon, total processing increased 11 percent from a year ago and Washington and the rest of Oregon total processing increased 4 percent from last season. Dehydrating usage accounts for 21.3 million cwt of the total processing, up 11 percent from last year but 3 percent below the same date in 2005. 

Western States held 131 million cwt of potatoes in storage on February 1, down 6 percent from last year.  Idaho's  potato stocks are down 2 percent from last year. Montana's potato sheds stored 3 percent more than in 2006 and California's stocks increased 18 percent from last year.  Oregon's potato stocks are down 19 percent from last year and Washington's potato sheds stored 10 percent less than last season.  Colorado’s potato stocks are down 2 percent from last year.

Central States accounted for 44.7 million cwt of potato stocks on February 1, up 13 percent from last year for comparable States.  Wisconsin's potato stocks increased 11 percent from last year, Minnesota's stocks are up 8 percent from 2006, and stocks in North Dakota are 28 percent above February 1, 2006.  Michigan potato sheds stored 13 percent more than last year.

Eastern States stored 12.6 million cwt of potatoes on February 1, up 11 percent from last year for comparable States.  Maine's potato sheds held 19 percent more than last year, while New York's potato stocks declined 35  percent from a year ago.

FALL POTATOES:  Production and Stocks on February 1, 2006-2007 1/