nd-potatoes-vegetables NEWS RELEASE Potato Stocks May 16, 2005 May 1 Potato Stocks North Dakota Stocks of potatoes totaled 7.20 million hundredweight (cwt) on May 1, 2005, in North Dakota's growers, dealers and processors storage facilities, according to the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Stocks are down 13 percent from last year, but up 31 percent from the May 1, 2003. Current stocks represent 27 percent of the production, down from 30 percent last year, but up from 23 percent two years ago. Disappearance from the start of harvest totaled 19.6 million cwt, up 2 percent from last year and 9 percent from two years ago. Disappearance during April totaled 3.10 million cwt, above last April's disappearance of 2.90 million cwt and 2.40 million cwt two years ago. Total stocks are defined as all potatoes on hand, regardless of use, including those that will be lost through future shrinkage and dumping. United States The 15 major potato States held 87.0 million cwt of potatoes in storage May 1, 2005, up 2 percent from last year and 5 percent above May 1, 2003. Potatoes in storage account for 22 percent of the 2004 fall storage states' production, 1 percent above last year. Disappearance of 316 million cwt of potatoes is down 1 percent from last year and 2 percent below two years ago. Processors in the 9 major states have used 154 million cwt of potatoes this season, down 1 percent from a year ago and 4 percent below two years ago. Dehydrating usage accounts for 31.4 million cwt of the total processing, down 9 percent from last year. Fall Potatoes: Production and May 1 Stocks Crop of 2003 Crop of 2004 Stocks Stocks State Production May 1, 2004 Production May 1, 2005 - - 1,000 Cwt - - - - 1,000 Cwt - - North Dakota 27,440 8,300 26,765 7,200 California 3,528 700 3,876 500 Colorado 23,652 4,300 23,148 4,600 Idaho 123,180 33,000 131,970 38,500 Maine 17,030 4,100 19,220 5,100 Michigan 15,015 1,500 13,650 1,100 Minnesota 22,330 5,500 18,920 5,100 Montana 3,339 1,000 3,551 400 Nebraska 9,744 1/ 9,288 1/ New York 6,510 1/ 5,184 1/ Ohio 1,097 1/ 1,080 1/ Oregon 20,991 5,500 19,775 3,400 Pennsylvania 3,375 1/ 2,640 1/ Washington 93,150 15,000 93,810 15,500 Wisconsin 32,800 4,200 30,450 3,900 Other States 1,900 1,690 15 State Total 403,181 85,000 403,327 86,990 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/