Potato Report April 2002

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POTATOES

Released April 16, 2002
Seasonal
No. 987-4-02

NEW YORK POTATO STOCKS DOWN 37 PERCENT

Potato stocks, held for all purposes on April 1, 2002 by New York growers, dealers, and processors, totaled 250 thousand hundredweight (cwt.), down 37 percent from this time last year. Storage accounted for 4 percent of the 2001 potato crop, down 3 percentage points from the previous year.

The 15 major potato States held 129 million cwt. of potatoes in storage April 1, 2002, down 16 percent from last year but less than 1 percent above 2000. Storage accounts for 33 percent of the 2001 fall storage States' production, the same as a year ago.

Eastern States stored 5.6 million cwt. of potatoes on April 1, 2002, down 23 percent from a year ago and 33 percent below two years ago. Maine's holdings are down 23 percent from last year, and Pennsylvania's potato stocks are 13 percent below a year ago.

Central States accounted for 27.5 million cwt. of potato stocks this April 1, down 2 percent from 2001 but 18 percent above 2000. North Dakota's stocks are up 9 percent and Wisconsin's holdings are 13 percent above this date last year. Michigan's potato stocks are the same as last year but Minnesota's are off 25 percent from a year ago. Combined Nebraska and Ohio stocks are 18 percent below a year ago.

Western States held 95.9 million cwt. of potatoes in storage on April 1, 2002, down 19 percent from last year and 1 percent below 2000. Idaho's potato stocks are down 14 percent from a year ago, while Washington is down 5 percent and Oregon is off 37 percent. Colorado's stocks are down 29 percent and Montana's fell 14 percent short of a year ago. California's potato holdings are down 85 percent from a year ago.

Disappearance from the start of harvest to April 1, at 265 million cwt., is down 13 percent from the 2000 crop and 9 percent below two years ago. This is the lowest disappearance since 1993. March disappearance of 38.9 million cwt. is down 12 percent from a year ago and 6 percent below 2000. Shrink and loss to this point in the season is 22.9 million cwt., down 31 percent from last year and 17 percent below two years ago.

Processing of 2001 crop potatoes totaled 131 million cwt. to April 1, down 13 percent from the 2000 crop and 11 percent below two years ago. In March, processors used 16.9 million cwt. of potatoes, 15 percent below a year ago and 18 percent below two years ago.

FALL POTATOES: Production and Stocks on April 1, 2001-2002 1/

State	Crop of 2000			Crop of 2001
State	Production	Stocks Apr. 1, 2001	Percent of Production	Production	Stocks Apr. 1, 2002	Percent of Production
	1,000 cwt.		Percent	1,000 cwt.		Percent
CA	3,741	1,100	29	1,113	170	15
CO	27,972	10,300	37	21,357	7,300	34
ID	152,320	61,500	40	127,980	53,000	41
ME	17,920	6,600	37	16,120	5,100	32
MI	14,963	1,500	10	14,030	1,500	11
MN	21,240	8,100	38	18,425	6,100	33
MT	3,503	2,200	63	3,040	1,900	63
NE 2/	10,127			8,512
NY	5,964	400	7	5,942	250	4
ND	26,950	9,500	35	26,400	10,400	39
OH 2/	1,134			984
OR	30,683	13,600	44	20,730	8,500	41
PA	3,510	300	9	3,173	260	8
WA	105,000	29,500	28	94,400	25,000	26
WI	33,800	6,900	20	31,955	7,800	24
Other States		2,020			1,650
15 States	458,827	153,520	33	394,161	128,930	33
1/ Stocks include processor holdings and seed to plant 2002 potatoes. 2001 crop seed usage totaled 27.4 million cwt. 2/ Nebraska and Ohio combined into "Other States".

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