Potato Stocks ISSN: 1949-1565 Released December 16, 2019, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Potato Stocks Down 4 Percent From December 2018 For Comparable States The major potato States held 267 million cwt of potatoes in storage December 1, 2019, down 4 percent from December 1, 2018 for comparable States. Potatoes in storage accounted for 63 percent of the States' 2019 production. For comparable States, potatoes in storage accounted for 67 percent of the States' 2019 production, unchanged from the previous year. Potato disappearance, at 155 million cwt, was down 2 percent for comparable States from December 1, 2018. Season-to-date shrink and loss was reported as 13.3 million cwt. Processors in the 8 major States used 76.3 million cwt of potatoes for the season, up 3 percent from December 2018. Potato Production and Stocks - 13 Major States: December 1, 2018-2019 [Stocks include processor holdings and most of the seed to plant following year's crop. Seed usage for all seasons in 2019 totaled 27.6 million cwt] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Crop of 2018 : Crop of 2019 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : : Stocks :December stocks : : Stocks :December stocks : Production : December 1, : as a percent : Production : December 1, : as a percent : : 2018 : of : : 2019 : of : : : production : : : production ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------- 1,000 cwt ------ percent ------- 1,000 cwt ------ percent : California 1/ ...: 3,212 2,200 68 17,028 2,800 16 Colorado ........: 21,722 15,600 72 19,666 13,800 70 Florida 2/ ......: 5,512 (NA) (NA) 6,831 (D) (D) Idaho ...........: 141,750 101,000 71 133,980 95,000 71 Maine ...........: 15,035 10,900 72 16,480 12,400 75 Michigan ........: 18,240 10,500 58 19,475 12,100 62 Minnesota .......: 18,705 12,800 68 18,040 12,300 68 Montana 3/ ......: 3,885 3,700 95 (NA) (NA) (NA) Nebraska ........: 9,264 5,000 54 9,259 5,100 55 New York 3/ .....: 3,886 2,000 51 (NA) (NA) (NA) : North Dakota ....: 23,725 17,000 72 20,945 14,000 67 Oregon ..........: 27,000 21,100 78 22,680 17,900 79 Texas 2/ ........: 7,438 (NA) (NA) 7,612 (D) (D) Washington ......: 100,800 57,500 57 101,475 58,500 58 Wisconsin .......: 27,135 20,000 74 28,980 20,500 71 : Other States 4/ .: - - - - 2,700 (NA) : Total 5/ ........: 414,359 279,300 67 422,451 267,100 63 : Klamath Basin 6/ : (NA) 5,100 (NA) (NA) 5,200 (NA) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Represents zero. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Beginning in 2019, estimates represent all potatoes. 2/ Estimates began in 2019. 3/ Estimates discontinued in 2019. 4/ Includes data withheld above. 5/ For 2018, production total excludes Florida and Texas. 6/ Includes potato stocks in California and Klamath County, Oregon. Already included in the total. Potato Production and Stocks - 13 Major States: 2010-2019 [Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop : : : : : : : : year : Production : December 1 : January 1 : February 1 : March 1 : April 1 : May 1 : June 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 cwt : 2010 ....: 357,467 240,200 209,400 180,300 148,500 111,000 72,000 41,320 2011 ....: 382,318 253,000 (NA) 187,500 (NA) 115,650 (NA) 43,340 2012 ....: 410,367 271,500 (NA) 204,600 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 2013 ....: 388,204 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) 119,450 (NA) 47,085 2014 ....: 399,118 267,500 (NA) 206,600 (NA) 139,200 (NA) 63,535 2015 ....: 403,062 267,900 (NA) 205,900 (NA) 137,200 (NA) 60,080 2016 ....: 412,688 275,800 (NA) 213,000 (NA) 142,600 (NA) 67,570 2017 ....: 406,800 277,900 (NA) 210,600 (NA) 138,800 (NA) 63,740 2018 ....: 414,359 279,300 (NA) 212,800 (NA) 144,700 (NA) 70,370 2019 1/ .: 422,451 267,100 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (NA) Not available. 1/ Beginning in 2019, production represents all potatoes. Potato Stocks by Type as Percent of Total Stocks - 13 Major States: December 1, 2018-2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Potato types :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : Reds :Round whites : Long whites : Yellows : Russets State :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2018 : 2019 : 2018 : 2019 : 2018 : 2019 : 2018 : 2019 : 2018 : 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : percent : California 1/ ......: 5 5 61 51 - - 2 19 32 25 Colorado ...........: 7 3 8 (D) - (D) 8 7 77 86 Florida 2/ .........: (NA) (D) (NA) (D) (NA) (D) (NA) (D) (NA) (D) Idaho ..............: 3 3 3 3 1 (D) 1 (D) 92 91 Maine ..............: 6 5 38 35 1 (D) 3 (D) 52 56 Michigan ...........: 1 (D) 78 79 - - 1 (D) 20 20 Minnesota ..........: 7 3 5 3 1 1 1 2 86 91 Montana 3/ .........: 2 (NA) 2 (NA) - (NA) 4 (NA) 92 (NA) Nebraska ...........: 2 (D) 62 61 - (D) 1 (D) 35 36 New York 3/ ........: 5 (NA) 88 (NA) 1 (NA) 5 (NA) 1 (NA) : North Dakota .......: 21 20 27 24 4 (D) 3 (D) 45 51 Oregon .............: 1 (D) 3 2 4 (D) 2 (D) 90 91 Texas 2/ ...........: (NA) (D) (NA) (D) (NA) (D) (NA) (D) (NA) (D) Washington .........: 4 3 1 (D) 1 (D) 3 3 91 92 Wisconsin ..........: 4 3 28 22 - (D) 2 (D) 66 71 : 13 State average ...: 5 3 12 12 1 1 2 2 80 82 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - Represents zero. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (NA) Not available. 1/ Beginning in 2019, estimates represent all California. 2/ Estimates began in 2019. 3/ Estimates discontinued in 2019. Quantity of Potatoes Used for Processing - 8 States: 2018-2020 [Total quantity received and used for processing regardless of the State in which the potatoes were produced. Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Current : Following year State : year : : : : : : : :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : December 1, :January 1, :February 1,: March 1, : April 1, : May 1, : June 1, : Season : 2018 : 2019 : 2019 : 2019 : 2019 : 2019 : 2019 : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 cwt : Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon .....: 25,325 32,020 39,495 47,395 55,250 63,225 71,340 95,974 Maine ................................: 1,470 1,890 2,400 2,870 3,450 3,870 4,290 5,050 Washington and Oregon ................: 36,405 43,420 50,400 57,720 65,095 71,405 79,130 97,176 : Other States 1/ ......................: 10,643 15,048 18,836 23,479 27,079 30,423 34,392 40,470 : United States ........................: 73,843 92,378 111,131 131,464 150,874 168,923 189,152 238,670 : Dehydrated 2/ ........................: 13,810 17,065 20,775 24,420 28,315 32,620 36,660 47,648 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Current : Following year State : year : : : : : : : :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : December 1, :January 1, :February 1,: March 1, : April 1, : May 1, : June 1, : Season : 2019 : 2020 : 2020 : 2020 : 2020 : 2020 : 2020 : ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 cwt : Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon .....: 26,655 Maine ................................: 1,585 Washington and Oregon ................: 34,720 : Other States 1/ ......................: 13,315 : United States ........................: 76,275 : Dehydrated 2/ ........................: 11,855 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Other States include Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. 2/ Dehydrated products except starch and flour. Includes Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. Accumulated Potato Shrinkage and Loss - 13 Major States: 2018-2020 [Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Current : : : : : : Crop : year : Following year year :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 1, 2018 : January 1, 2019 :February 1, 2019 :March 1, 2019 :April 1, 2019 : May 1, 2019 : June 1, 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : million cwt : 2018 ...: 12.2 13.8 15.5 17.2 18.6 20.2 22.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Current : : : : : : Crop : year : Following year year :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 1, 2019 : January 1, 2020 :February 1, 2020 :March 1, 2020 :April 1, 2020 : May 1, 2020 : June 1, 2020 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : million cwt : 2019 ...: 13.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: The potato stock estimates in this report are based primarily on a survey conducted in the first week of December in the potato producing States. The potato stocks survey is a probability survey that includes a sample of approximately 885 growers, processors, and storage facilities that are contacted to obtain the quantity of potatoes stored as of the first of the month, as well as monthly shrinkage and loss information. Monthly processing data is collected from a census of all known potato processing facilities in eight States (Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin). An effort is made to obtain a report from all facilities. Estimates are made for missing facilities to make the survey complete. Data was collected by mail, internet, telephone, or personal interview to obtain information on potato stocks, monthly potato processing, and monthly shrink and loss. Estimating Procedures: Information obtained from the potato stocks survey, processing survey, and federal administrative data, is used to establish estimates of stocks, shrinkage and loss, and processing usage. These estimates are reviewed for errors, reasonableness, and consistency with historical estimates. Revision Policy: Stocks, shrink and loss, and processing estimates for the previous estimating period are subject to revision based on late and/or updated information. At the end of the marketing season, all information available, including disposition data, are thoroughly reviewed and any necessary revisions for the entire crop year are published in the Potatoes Annual Summary. Reliability: Reliability of the stocks and processing data must be treated separately because the survey designs for the two surveys are very different. The stocks estimates are subject to sampling variability because all operations holding stocks are not included in the sample. This variability, as measured by the relative standard error at the United States level, is approximately 2.0 percent which means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the current potato stock estimate will not be above or below the final estimate by more than 2.0 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 (90 percent confidence level) that the difference will not exceed 3.5 percent. Survey indications are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omission, duplication, imputation for missing data, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. Processing, as well as stocks, are subject to these types of errors. These errors cannot be measured directly, but they are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Crops Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@usda.gov Lance Honig, Chief, Crops Branch...................................................... (202) 720-2127 Jorge Garcia-Pratts, Head, Fruits, Vegetables and Special Crops Section............... (202) 720-2127 Joshua Bates - Almonds, Apples, Apricots, Asparagus, Carrots, Coffee, Onions, Plums, Prunes, Sweet Corn, Tobacco.................................................... (202) 720-4288 Jorge Garcia-Pratts - Dry Beans, Garlic, Hazelnuts, Honeydews, Kiwifruit, Lettuce, Maple Syrup, Mint, Pears, Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Tomatoes..................... (202) 720-2127 Fleming Gibson - Cauliflower, Celery, Grapefruit, Lemons, Macadamia, Mandarins and tangerines, Mushrooms, Olives, Oranges.................................. (202) 720-5412 Greg Lemmons - Cranberries, Cucumbers, Pistachios, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Raspberries, Squash, Strawberries, Sugarbeets, Sugarcane, Sweet Potatoes, Tame Blueberries, Wild Blueberries.................................................... (202) 720-4285 Dan Norris - Artichokes, Cantaloupes, Dry Edible Peas, Green Peas, Lentils, Nectarines, Papayas, Peaches, Snap Beans, Spinach, Walnuts, Watermelons .... (202) 720-3250 Dawn Smoker - Avocados, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chickpeas, Chile Peppers, Dates, Floriculture, Grapes, Hops, Pecans.............................. (202) 720-4215 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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