New York production of fall potatoes for 2008 is estimated at 5.70 million hundredweight (cwt.), up 9 percent from a year ago. Harvested acreage at 17,800 was down 3 percent from last year. Yields averaged 320 cwt. per acre, breaking the previous record of 300 cwt. in 2006 and 2003, up 35 cwt. from 2007.
U.S. production of fall potatoes for 2008 is forecast at 374 million cwt., up slightly from the November forecast but down 8 percent from 2007. Area harvested, at 921,200 acres, is virtually unchanged from the November forecast but 8 percent lower than last year. The average yield, forecast at 406 cwt. per acre, is down 1 cwt. from November's forecast and down 3 cwt. from last year's record high yield.
