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Released July 14, 2003
Seasonal
No. 987-5-03

NEW YORK POTATO ACREAGE DOWN SLIGHTLY

New York potato growers planted an estimated 22,200 acres of potatoes this year, according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. This is down 1 percent from 2002 and 6 percent less than 2001. Acres for harvest is forecast at 22.0 thousand acres, unchanged from a year earlier.

U.S. area planted to fall potatoes this year is estimated at 1.11 million acres, down 3 percent from last year but 2 percent above two years ago. Harvest is forecast from 1.09 million acres, down 2 percent from a year ago but 2 percent above 2001.

Growers in Eastern States have planted an estimated 106,200 acres of fall potatoes this year, up 1 percent from last year and 3 percent above 2001 acreage. Maine's planted acreage is estimated at 66,000 acres, up 3 percent from last year. Planted potato acreage in Massachusetts and Rhode Island were the same as last year. Pennsylvania dropped 3 percent.

Central States planted an estimated 341,700 acres of fall potatoes this year, up less than 1 percent from last year and 1 percent above two years ago. Planted acreage gained 7 percent in Nebraska, 3 percent in Indiana, and 1 percent in Michigan from a year ago. Minnesota and North Dakota remained the same, while Ohio acreage fell 2 percent, South Dakota dropped 9 percent, and Wisconsin slipped 1 percent from last year. Wet spring weather slowed planting and early development in most of the Central States but recent warm temperatures have helped potatoes catch up.

Western States fall potato planted area is estimated at 666,500 acres this year, down 5 percent from last year but 3 percent above 2001. Shortages of irrigation water supplies this spring prompted voluntary acreage cutbacks in Colorado and Oregon where planted acres dropped 7 and 14 percent, respectively, from last year. Idaho growers dropped their potato acreage 4 percent and Washington pulled back 3 percent from a year ago. Irrigation water supplies have improved with late spring rains in Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon, but remain problematic in Colorado. California's potato acreage is off 10 percent but Nevada's plantings are up 18 percent from a year ago. Montana's potato acreage inched up 1 percent from last year as New Mexico and Utah remained the same.

U.S. summer potato production is forecast at 19.6 million cwt, a gain of 9 percent from a year ago. Harvest is expected from 63,100 acres, up 7 percent from last year. The average yield is 310 cwt per acre, up 6 cwt from 2002. Nine of the 12 summer potato States expect larger crops than they had last year, while the remaining 3 States are smaller.

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