USDA-NASS-2006 New York Potato Value Up

The results of the 2006 potato disposition and utilization survey show the value of New York's 2006 potato crop to be $68.4 million, 7 percent above the 2005 value, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York field office.

Production was up 9 percent from 2005. Sales increased 10 percent and the average price per hundredweight (cwt.) was $12.00, or $0.20 more than the 2005 price of $12.20.

FALL POTATOES: Production, farm disposition, season average price, and value,

New York and United States, 2005-2006

	Production	Used for seed	Farm Disposition Used on Farm		Sold	Price per cwt.	Value of
	Production	Used for seed	Seed, feed, household use	Shrinkage and loss	Sold	Price per cwt.	Production	Sales
			1,000 cwt.			Dollars	1,000 dollars
2005
N.Y.	5,226	453	100	491	4,635	12.20	63,757	56,547
U.S.	382,743	22,415	4,545	27,115	351,083	6.53	2,504,612	2,290,850

2006
N.Y.	5,700	460	100	480	5,120	12.00	68,400	61,440
U.S.	398,921	23,337	4,482	28,576	365,863	6.68	2,671,119	2,445,026

2006 U.S. POTATO PRODUCTION UP 4 PERCENT

Total 2006 potato production is estimated at 441 million cwt, up 2 percent from the estimate made in the January Crop Production 2006 Summary and 4 percent above the 2005 crop. Harvested area, at 1.12 million acres, increased 3 percent from the record low set a year ago. The average yield of 393 cwt per acre is a record high, up 3 cwt from 2005 and 2 cwt above the previous record high set in 2003.

The value of all potatoes sold in 2006 is estimated at $2.98 billion, up 8 percent from the previous year. The average price, at $7.33 per cwt, is up $0.27 from a year earlier. Sales from the 2006 potato crop totaled 407 million cwt, up 4 percent from 2005.

Sales account for 92 percent of 2006 production. Non-sales account for 34.6 million cwt, 4 percent above 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 280 million cwt of raw potatoes from the 2006 crop, up 14 percent from a year earlier. Table stock sales totaled 101 million cwt, 16 percent below the previous year. Seed sales of 23.7 million cwt are up 6 percent from 2005. Sales for livestock feed, at 1.66 million cwt, are down 17 percent from a year earlier.

POTATOES: Utilization of Crops, United States, 2003-2006

Utilization Items	2003	2004	2005	2006
	1,000 cwt.
Sales
Table Stock	133,143	130,418	120,372	101,383

Processing
Chips and Shoestrings	52,790	50,068	50,998	67,034
Dehydration 1/	48,418	48,541	42,312	54,590
Frozen French Fries	126,515	131,592	123,298	129,469
Other Frozen Products	23,870	23,003	24,747	24,859
Canned Products	3,086	2,843	2,120	2,200
Other Canned Products (Hash, Stews, Soups)	1,168	984	934	795
Starch, Flour, and Other	1,379	1,531	1,582	1,097
Total	257,226	258,562	245,991	280,044

Other Sales
Livestock Feed	2,005	1,942	1,999	1,660
Seed	24,603	22,915	22,254	23,671

Total	26,608	24,857	24,253	25,331

Total Sales	416,977	413,837	390,616	406,758

Non-Sales
Seed Used on Farms Where Grown	4,000	3,601	3,595	3,503
Household Use and Used for Feed on Farms Where Grown	1,543	1,195	1,196	1,235
Shrinkage and Loss 2/	35,294	37,408	28,519	29,852

Total Non-Sales	40,837	42,204	33,310	34,590

TOTAL PRODUCTION	457,814	456,041	423,926	441,348

1/ Dehydrated products except starch and flour. 2/ Includes potatoes disposed of by the United Fresh Potato Growers of Idaho for 2004.