Sep 3, 2020US potato production outlook lower than a month ago, reports NAPMN
The latest North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) projection has the 2020 U.S. potato crop at 400.2 million cwt, which would be a 5.4% drop from last year.
NAPMN’s latest projections, which were published in its Sept. 2 newsletter, are 4.4 million cwt lower than its previous projections Aug. 5. That is based on detrimental weather condition effects on yields, particularly in Maine, which experienced an unusually dry summer, but as well in Idaho, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Michigan.
NAPMN has Maine’s projected crop at 13.1 million cwt, which would be 19.3% lower than 2019. In early August, NAPMN projected Maine’s crop at 15.1 million cwt.
Idaho’s current projection is 130.1 million cwt, which would be close to last year, although lower than the 133 million cwt NAPMN forecast in early August.
Outlooks have improved in Washington, North Dakota, Colorado, California and Oregon since early August. Although Washington’s outlook, at 87.1 million cwt, is larger than it was a month ago, production there is still expected to be down 15.5% from 2019 due to decreased processing contract acreage. North Dakota’s crop, currently projected at 21.7 million cwt, would be 6.9% higher than last year.
The USDA-NASS’s next crop estimates are due out Sept. 11, at which time NAPMN may further adjust its projections. The next NAPMN newsletter is due out Sept. 16.
Top photo courtesy of Travis Blacker of the Idaho Potato Commission.