nd-potatoes-vegetables NEWS RELEASE Potato Stocks March 15, 2005 March 1 Potato Stocks North Dakota Stocks of potatoes in North Dakota's growers, dealers and processors storage facilities on March 1, 2005 was estimated at 13.1 million hundredweight (cwt), up 1 percent from last year and 31 percent from two years ago, according to the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. This is the highest March 1 level since records began in 1949. Current stocks represent 49 percent of production, up from 47 percent last year. Total stocks are defined as all potatoes on hand, regardless of use, including those that will be lost through future shrinkage and dumping. Disappearance, from the start of harvest in 2004 to March 1, totaled 13.7 million cwt, down from 14.4 million cwt last year, but up from 13.5 million cwt two years ago. February disappearance totaled 2.20 million cwt, up from the 2.00 million cwt disappearance last year and 1.60 million cwt disappearance two years ago. United States The 15 major potato states held 168 million cwt of potatoes in storage March 1, 2005, up 1 percent from last year and 2 percent above 2003. Potatoes in storage account for 42 percent of the 2004 fall storage states' production, 1 percentage point above last year. Disappearance of 235 million cwt of potatoes is down 1 percent from last year and 3 percent below two years ago. Dehydrating usage accounts for 23.7 million cwt of the total processing, down 9 percent from last year and 15 percent below the same date in 2003. Fall Potatoes: Production and March 1 Stocks Crop of 2003 Crop of 2004 Stocks Stocks State Production Mar 1, 2004 Production Mar 1, 2005 - - 1,000 Cwt - - - - 1,000 Cwt - - North Dakota 27,440 13,000 26,765 13,100 California 3,528 1,300 3,876 1,300 Colorado 23,652 10,700 23,148 11,100 Idaho 123,180 58,000 131,970 64,000 Maine 17,030 8,900 19,220 9,400 Michigan 15,015 5,100 13,650 3,900 Minnesota 22,330 9,600 18,920 8,800 Montana 3,339 2,800 3,551 3,200 Nebraska 9,744 1/ 9,288 1/ New York 6,510 700 5,184 700 Ohio 1,097 1/ 1,080 1/ Oregon 20,991 11,000 19,775 9,000 Pennsylvania 3,375 700 2,640 700 Washington 93,150 29,500 93,810 29,000 Wisconsin 32,800 11,200 30,450 11,000 Other States 3,780 3,220 15 State Total 403,181 166,280 403,327 168,420 1/ Combined into Other States. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: David Knopf, Director North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448 P.O. Box 3166 Fargo, ND 58108-3166 Telephone: (701) 239-5306 E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/