Apr 18, 2005April Potato Stocks Up 3 Percent from 2004
The 15 major potato states held 130 million cwt. of potatoes in storage April 1, up 3 percent from both last year and April 1, 2003. Potatoes in storage account for 32 percent of the 2004 fall storage states’ production, 1 percentage point above last year.
Disappearance of 274 million cwt. from the start of harvest to April 1, is down 1 percent from last year and 3 percent below two years ago. Shrink and loss, at 26.8 million cwt., is up 6 percent from last year and 11 percent above the same date in 2003.
Processors have used 136 million cwt. of 2004 crop potatoes so far this season, down 1 percent from a year ago and 6 percent below two years ago. March usage, at 16.6 million cwt., is 3 percent below last year and down 8 percent from two years ago. Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon, processing increased 3 percent from a year ago, while Washington and the rest of Oregon processing decreased 2 percent from last season. Dehydrating usage accounts for 27.8 million cwt. of the total processing, down 8 percent from last year and 13 percent below the same date in 2003.
Western states held 91.6 million cwt. of potatoes in storage on April 1, up 6 percent from last year but 1 percent below two years ago. Idaho’s and Colorado’s potato stocks are both up 13 percent from last year and Washington’s potato sheds stored 2 percent more than last year. Oregon’s potato stocks are down 26 percent, Montana’s sheds hold 13 percent less than last year, and California’s stocks decreased 10 percent from a year ago.
Central states accounted for 29.6 million cwt. of potato stocks on April 1, down 8 percent from last year but 14 percent above two years ago. Michigan’s potato stocks are down 16 percent, Minnesota potato sheds stored 14 percent less than last year, and North Dakota’s stocks decreased 8 percent. Nebraska and Ohio’s potato stocks combined decreased 8 percent from last year. Wisconsin’s sheds are the only sheds in the Central states storing more potatoes than last year, with an increase of 1 percent.
Eastern states stored 8.42 million cwt. of potatoes on April 1, up 17 percent from last year and 22 percent above two years ago.
Maine’s potato sheds hold 15 percent more than last year, Pennsylvania’s stocks are up 50 percent, and New York’s sheds increased 7 percent from a year ago.
