USDA Report Potatoes 2011 Summary published

Last week the USDA published the final overview and latest revision of potato harvest 2011, Potatoes 2011 Summary.

This publication presents 2011 potato estimates of acreage, yield per acre, production, farm disposition, season average price, value, and utilization of sales including processing with historic comparisons.

Also included are first of the month potato stocks (December through June) for the 13 major fall potato producing States. Monthly prices, farm marketings, percent of acreage planted by type, and certified seed acres are also included for selected States.

Potato production in 2011 is revised to 430 million cwt, up slightly from the estimate in the January Crop Production 2011 Summary but 6 percent above the 2010 crop. Harvested area, at 1.08 million acres, is up 7 percent from 2010. The average yield of 399 cwt per acre is down 2 cwt from the previous year.

Spring potato final production for 2011 is 25.6 million cwt, 3 percent above the previous year. Harvested acres, at 91,500 acres, increased 7 percent from 2010. The average yield for spring potatoes is 279 cwt per acre, down 10 cwt from 2010.

Summer potato production is 12.9 million cwt for 2011, a 1 percent decrease from 2010. Harvested area, at 46,000 acres, is up 14 percent from 2010. The average yield of 280 cwt per acre is down 41 cwt from 2010.

Fall potato production is finalized at 391 million cwt for 2011, up 7 percent from the 2010 crop. Area harvested in 2011 is 939,500 acres, up 7 percent from the previous year. The average fall potato yield, at 416 cwt per acre, was unchanged from 2010.

The value of all potatoes sold in 2011, at $3.74 billion, increased 9 percent from the previous year. The average price, at $9.41 per cwt, is up $0.21 from 2010. The quantity of potatoes sold from the 2011 crop totaled 398 million cwt, up 6 percent from 2010. Sales account for 93 percent of 2011 production, unchanged from the previous year.
 

Processors used 272 million cwt of raw potatoes from the 2011 crop, up 11 percent from 2010.

Table stock sales totaled 103 million cwt, 4 percent below the previous year.

Seed sales of 21.9 million cwt are up 6 percent from 2010.

Sales for livestock feed, at 825,000 cwt, increased significantly from 2010.

Potatoes used for chips and shoestrings totaled 58.7 million cwt in 2011, up 8 percent from the previous year.

Frozen french fries and other frozen products utilized 160 million cwt of raw potatoes, up 7 percent from 2010.

Potatoes used for dehydrating totaled 45.5 million cwt, up 33 percent from 2010.

Canning use, at 2.37 million cwt, is up slightly from the previous year.

Starch, flour, and other products were made from 6.15 million cwt of potatoes, a 3 percent decrease from 2010.

Shrinkage and loss is estimated at 27.8 million cwt for 2011, 11 percent above 2010. Potatoes used for livestock feed on farms where grown and home use totaled 1.13 million cwt, 7 percent below the previous season. Growers kept 3.01 million cwt for seed on their own farms, up slightly from 2010.