Jun 16, 2005June Potato Stocks Up 11 Percent from 2004
The 15 major potato states held 51 million cwt. of potatoes in storage June 1, up 11 percent from both last year and June 1, 2003. Potatoes in storage account for 13 percent of the 2004 fall storage states’ production, 2 percent above last year.
Disappearance of 352 million cwt., from the start of harvest to June 1, is down 1 percent from last year and 2 percent below two years ago. Shrink and loss, at 31.1 million cwt., is up 4 percent from last year and 14 percent above the same date in 2003.
Processors have used 173 million cwt. of 2004 crop potatoes so far this season, down 1 percent from a year ago and 4 percent below two years ago. May usage, at 19 million cwt., is 3 percent below last year but 3 percent above two years ago. Idaho and Malheur County, Ore., total processing increased 3 percent from a year ago, while Washington and the rest of Oregon total processing decreased 1 percent from last season. Dehydrating usage accounts for 36 million cwt. of the total processing, down 8 percent from last year and 11 percent below the same date in 2003.
Western states held 36.9 million cwt. of potatoes in storage on June 1, up 13 percent from last year but virtually unchanged from two years ago. Idaho’s potato stocks are up 23 percent from last year, Washington’s potato sheds stored 14 percent more, and Colorado’s stocks increased 4 percent from last year. Oregon’s potato stocks are down 38 percent. California and Montana’s potato stocks combined decreased 29 percent from last year.
Central states accounted for 11.1 million cwt. of potato stocks on June 1, down 1 percent from last year but 63 percent above two years ago. North Dakota’s potato stocks are down 4 percent. Wisconsin’s potato sheds stored 20 percent more than last year but Minnesota’s stocks are unchanged from last year. Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio’s potato stocks combined decreased 17 percent from last year.
Eastern states stored 3.05 million cwt. of potatoes on June 1, up 31 percent from last year and 39 percent above two years ago. Maine’s potato sheds are holding 30 percent more than last year. Pennsylvania and New York’s stocks combined increased 67 percent from a year ago.
