Nov 12, 2020North Dakota potato production up 18% following better harvest conditions
Better harvest conditions this year in North Dakota have resulted in a larger potato crop.
According to estimates released by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, North Dakota growers will produce 22.9 million hundredweight (cwt) this year, up 18% from 2019, when wet conditions during harvest season led to heavy losses. Acreage planted was 72,000 acres, down slightly from last year, but harvested acres were by 12,500. Average yields were down slightly to 325 cwt per acre from 335 a year ago.
Across the Red River in Minnesota, the NASS estimates 17.4 million cwt of potatoes, down 2% from last year. Average yields are projected at 420 cwt per acre, with 41,500 acres harvested.
Nationally, production of U.S. fall potatoes is forecast at 415.5 million cwt, down 2.8% from 2019. Harvested acres are 915,700, also down 2% from last year. The average yield for 2020 is 454 cwt per acres, almost identical to 2019.
