Potatoes left in storage numbers up, but so is disappearance
The amount of potatoes left in storage from the 2018 harvest is up 6% from a year ago. The disappearance and shrinkage loss is up 12%, however.
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Overall, potatoes in storage in the 13 major potato-producing U.S. states were up 6% from a year ago as of June 1, 2019. Potatoes in storage account for 16% of last year’s total harvest, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which is on par with a year ago.
Season-to-date shrink and loss is much higher than last year, however. Total loss to date is 25.1 million cwt, which is up 12%.
Potato stocks in Idaho and Washington accounted for 68% of the 67.37 million cwt potatoes in storage in the U.S. as of June 1. Stocks remaining in those two states are up a combined 15%, year to date.
Potatoes left in storage also are up in Oregon (+29%), which is in line with the state’s overall harvest increase in 2018.
Stocks remaining are down in North Dakota (-30%), Wisconsin (-13%) and Minnesota (-10%).