Potato Stocks Publication

Potato Stocks
ISSN: 1949-1565

Released June 14, 2018, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

Potato Stocks Up 9 Percent From June 2017
The 13 major potato States held 59.0 million cwt of potatoes in storage June 1, 2018, up 9 percent from June 1, 2017.
Potatoes in storage accounted for 15 percent of the fall storage States' 2017 production, 2 percentage points more than last
year. Potato disappearance, at 341 million cwt, was down 3 percent from June 1, 2017. Season-to-date shrink and loss, at
23.4 million cwt, was 8 percent lower than the same time last year. Processors in the 8 major States used 185 million cwt
of potatoes for the season, up 1 percent from June 2017.
Fall Potato Production and Stocks – 13 Major States: June 1, 2017-2018
[Stocks include processor holdings and most of the seed to plant following year's crop. Seed usage for all seasons in 2017 totaled 29.9 million cwt]
Crop of 2016
State

Crop of 2017

Production

Stocks
June 1,
2017

June stocks
as a percent
of
production

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(percent)

Production

Stocks
April 1,
2018

Stocks
June 1,
2018

June stocks
as a percent
of
production

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(percent)

California ...........
Colorado ............
Idaho .................
Maine ................
Michigan ............
Minnesota ..........
Montana ............
Nebraska ...........
New York ...........
North Dakota .....

3,516
22,236
139,320
15,113
17,020
16,800
3,685
7,380
3,552
21,600

(D)
3,200
21,000
1,900
(D)
3,200
(D)
(D)
(D)
2,700

(D)
14
15
13
(D)
19
(D)
(D)
(D)
13

3,690
21,527
131,325
15,035
18,000
18,428
3,740
9,072
4,321
25,160

1,400
7,300
49,000
5,300
3,800
5,200
2,650
1,700
800
8,900

(D)
3,000
23,000
2,800
(D)
2,800
90
(D)
400
4,000

(D)
14
18
19
(D)
15
2
(D)
9
16

Oregon ..............
Washington .......
Wisconsin ..........

22,951
105,625
27,840

3,700
13,000
3,900

16
12
14

21,395
99,000
29,145

7,000
29,000
9,900

3,000
13,000
5,300

14
13
18

Other States ......

(NA)

1,470

(NA)

(NA)

(NA)

1,560

(NA)

Total ..................

406,638

54,070

13

399,838

131,950

58,950

15

Klamath Basin 1 .

(NA)

(D)

(NA)

(NA)

2,000

(D)

(NA)

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
(NA) Not available.
1
Includes potato stocks in California and Klamath County, Oregon. Already included in the 13 States total.

Fall Potato Production and Stocks – 13 Major States: 2008-2017
Crop
year

2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

Stocks
Production

December 1

January 1

February 1

March 1

April 1

May 1

June 1

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........
..........

369,866
383,962
357,467
382,318
410,367
386,824
396,798
398,482
406,638
399,838

243,700
265,800
240,200
253,000
271,500
(NA)
265,700
262,700
272,900
266,750

213,200
234,300
209,400
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

183,900
203,500
180,300
187,500
204,600
(NA)
200,800
198,100
203,100
202,750

152,700
169,700
148,500
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

115,800
128,700
111,000
115,650
(NA)
119,050
128,700
125,700
131,400
131,950

78,100
89,610
72,000
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

45,300
55,120
41,320
43,340
(NA)
46,885
56,335
51,280
54,070
58,950

(NA) Not available.

Quantity of Potatoes Used for Processing – 8 States: 2016-2018
[Total quantity received and used for processing regardless of the State in which the potatoes were produced. Blank cells indicate estimation period
had not yet begun]

State

Current
year

Following year

December 1,
2016

January 1,
2017

February 1,
2017

March 1,
2017

April 1,
2017

May 1,
2017

June 1,
2017

Season

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon .......
Maine .....................................................
Washington and Oregon ........................

25,720
1,260
36,700

32,650
1,665
42,180

39,475
2,175
47,835

46,880
2,660
55,365

54,625
3,080
62,125

61,950
3,470
68,705

70,110
3,825
76,635

92,760
5,059
90,785

Other States 1 ........................................

10,035

13,570

17,140

21,005

25,085

28,505

32,385

38,631

United States .........................................

73,715

90,065

106,625

125,910

144,915

162,630

182,955

227,235

11,560

15,305

19,085

22,675

26,565

30,545

34,890

46,317

Dehydrated 2 ..........................................

State

Current
year

Following year

December 1,
2017

January 1,
2018

February 1,
2018

March 1,
2018

April 1,
2018

May 1,
2018

June 1,
2018

Season

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon .......
Maine .....................................................
Washington and Oregon ........................

24,840
1,510
32,885

31,915
1,880
39,925

38,950
2,370
46,515

46,615
2,880
54,355

54,075
3,460
61,780

61,335
4,010
68,420

69,690
4,560
76,360

Other States 1 ........................................

9,995

14,146

18,040

22,710

26,505

30,395

34,710

United States .........................................

69,230

87,866

105,875

126,560

145,820

164,160

185,320

Dehydrated 2 ..........................................

10,595

14,304

18,085

21,685

25,790

29,890

34,325

1

Other States include Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
2
Dehydrated products except starch and flour. Includes Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington.

2

Potato Stocks (June 2018)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Accumulated Potato Shrinkage and Loss – 13 Fall Storage States: 2016-2018
Crop
year

Current
year
December 1, 2016

January 1, 2017

February 1, 2017

March 1, 2017

April 1, 2017

May 1, 2017

June 1, 2017

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

2016 ....
Crop
year

2017 ....

Following year

12.0

14.3

16.2

Current
year

18.8

20.9

23.1

25.4

Following year

December 1, 2017

January 1, 2018

February 1, 2018

March 1, 2018

April 1, 2018

May 1, 2018

June 1, 2018

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

(million cwt)

12.2

13.8

15.6

17.5

19.3

21.4

23.4

Statistical Methodology
Survey Procedures: The potato stock estimates in this report are based primarily on a survey conducted in the first week
of June in the thirteen major fall potato producing States, which account for 91 percent of all potato production last year.
The potato stocks survey is a probability survey that includes a sample of approximately 975 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 3.3 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 7.8 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 (90 percent confidence level) that the
difference will not exceed 13.5 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.

Potato Stocks (June 2018)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

3

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 [email protected]
Lance Honig, Chief, Crops Branch ....................................................................................................... (202) 720-2127
Jorge Garcia-Pratts, Head, Fruits, Vegetables and Special Crops Section ............................................ (202) 720-2127
Vincent Davis – Apricots, Bananas, Cherries, Garlic, Lettuce, Mint, Papaya,
Pears, Strawberries, Tomatoes ................................................................................................... (202) 720-2157
Fleming Gibson – Avocados, Cauliflower, Celery, Citrus, Coffee, Dates,
Figs, Kiwifruit, Nectarines, Olives, Green Peas, Taro, Watermelons ....................................... (202) 720-5412
Greg Lemmons – Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cranberries,
Cucumbers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Raspberries, Squash, Sugarbeets,
Sugarcane, Sweet Potatoes ........................................................................................................ (202) 720-4285
Dan Norris – Artichokes, Austrian Winter Peas, Cantaloupes, Dry Beans,
Dry Edible Peas, Honeydews, Lentils, Mushrooms, Peaches, Snap Beans ............................... (202) 720-3250
Daphne Schauber – Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chile Peppers,
Floriculture, Grapes, Hops, Maple Syrup, Tree Nuts, Spinach ................................................. (202) 720-4215
Chris Singh – Apples, Asparagus, Carrots, Lima Beans, Onions,
Plums, Prunes, Sweet Corn, Tobacco ........................................................................................ (202) 720-4288

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7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: [email protected].

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