US Potatoes 2010: Processing down 6%, Spring Production Up

Production of winter and spring potatoes is estimated at 25.6 million hundredweight(cwt) in 2010, a 3-percent increase over 2009 and the highest level since 2004. (As of 2010, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service includes California winter and summer potatoes in its estimates for California spring potatoes.)

Harvested area is expected to total 89,600 acres, also the highest since 2005 when 90,000 acres were harvested. At 286 cwt per acre, spring potato yields are expected to be slightly lower than 2009’s 289 cwt per acre.

Florida and North Carolina are expected to average 7 percent yield reductions, while yields in Arizona and Texas are anticipated to be the same as last year.

California yields are expected up 5 percent. Planting was delayed around Hasting, FL, due to January’s freezing temperatures. Growing conditions in other parts of the State have been more favorable. Thus, Florida’s spring crop is expected to be down 2 percent from last year to 7.55 million cwt.

Harvested area in California is anticipated to be up 18 percent to 31,000 acres. Combined with higher yields, production in California is expected to reach 11.78 million cwt in 2010, 46 percent of anticipated U.S. spring potato production.

Domestic shipments of fresh market (tablestock) potatoes, which include shipments for export, reached 9.0 million cwt in March, up 8 percent from the low levels of a year ago. Year-to-date shipments (September-March) of 59.2 million cwt are also above last year, but 1-percent below the average for the past 5 years of 59.6 million cwt.

Chipping potato shipments in March and year to date are down from a year ago. Industry sources indicate that 2009 supplies of chipping potatoes are tight.
Harvest of 2010-crop chipping potatoes began in late April in southern and central Florida, but quantities are small. March shipments of seed potatoes at 3.4 million cwt were 12 percent higher than the 3.0 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Year-todate seed potato shipments of 5.1 million cwt are 4 percent above the 5-year average of 4.9 million cwt.

Domestic shipments of 2009-crop tablestock potatoes from Idaho were particularly strong, reaching 3.45 million cwt, up 20 percent over the 2.87 million cwt shipped in March 2009 and the highest monthly amount year to date. Colorado shipments of 1.65 million cwt in March were also above a year ago. However, shipments of 2010-crop tablestock potatoes from Florida were down 72 percent from a year ago,
dropping from 779,200 cwt in March 2009 to 218,400 cwt this year. Through March, 2010 shipments from Florida totaled 294,300 cwt, 69 percent lower than the average year to date (January-March) for 2007-09. Taking advantage of the delayed 2010 crop in Florida, shipments of 2009-crop tablestock potatoes from Minnesota and North Dakota (mostly round reds) reach 634,100 cwt in March, up 43 percent from a year ago.

Despite higher shipments in March, the share of fall potatoes in storage remains above historical averages. As of April 1, 129.1 million cwt were in storage compared with 115.8 million cwt in 2009, accounting for 34 percent and 31 percent of fall production, respectively.

Processors in nine major processing States have used 124.8 million cwt of potatoes so far this season, 6 percent below the 133.4 million cwt reported for the prior season.

Potato products in cold storage at the end of February were 1.11 billion pounds, 7 percent below a year earlier and 3 percent below the average for the past 5 years. February’s frozen french fry stocks at 903.5 million pounds were down from last year’s high level but in line with the 5-year average.