According to the Idaho Agricultural Statistics Service in cooperation with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, processors in Idaho and Malheur County, OR, used 63.8 million cwt of 2003 crop raw potatoes to June 1, 11 percent less than a year ago.
Idaho potatoes contributed 57.4 million cwt of the total processed. The remaining 6.39 million cwt were produced in other states.
Processing of the 2003 crop totaled 173 million cwt to June 1, down 2 percent from last year. Of the total of 173 million cwt processed, 39.1 million cwt were used for dehydrated products, excluding starch and flour.
Potato stocks are up 3 percent from last year in the same report issued today. The 15 major potato states held 47.4 million cwt in storage to June 1. This is 10 percent above two years ago.
Potatoes in storage account for 12 percent of the 2003 fall storages states' production, up 1 percent from last year.
Disapperance of 357 million cwt is down 1 percent from last year but 4 percent above two years ago.
Western states held 33.2 million cwt on June 1, down 10 percent from last year but less than 1 percent below two years ago. Idaho's potato stocks are down 2 percent from last year. Washington decreased 22 percent, and Colorado's storages held 53 percent less. In Oregon, stored potatoes amounted to 26 percent more than last year. California and Montana storages combined gained 26 percent.