Potato Stocks Down 8 Percent From Last Year

Nationally, the 13 major potato States held 154 million cwt of potatoes in storage March 1, 2006, down 8 percent from last year and 7 percent below March 1, 2004, for comparable States.

Potato stocks held by growers, dealers and processors in Idaho on March 1 totaled 55.0 million cwt, 9 million cwt less than on hand March 1, 2005. Potato stocks are down 14 percent from last year. Disappearance, at 62.0 million cwt, is down from last year's 68.0 million cwt.

Ohio and Pennsylvania were dropped from the potato stocks program starting with the 2005 storage season. Potatoes in storage account for 41 percent of the 2005 fall storage State's production, down 1 percentage point from last year.

Disappearance of 219 million cwt of potatoes is down 6 percent from last year for comparable States. Shrink and loss, at 20.1 million cwt so far this season, is down 18 percent from last year for comparable States.

The western states held 113 million cwt of potatoes in storage on March 1, down 4 percent from last year. Colorado's potato stocks are also down 14 percent from last year.

California's stocks decreased 40 percent from 2005. Oregon's potato stocks are up 28 percent from last year.

Montana stored 21 percent more than 2005. Washington stocks increased 10 percent from last season.

The central states accounted for 31.2 million cwt of potato stocks on March 1, down 21 percent from last year. Wisconsin's stocks decreased 2 percent, and Minnesota's stocks are down 19 percent from 2005. North Dakota stocks are 49 percent lower than last season, and Michigan's stocks are unchanged from 2005.

The eastern states stored 10.0 million cwt of potatoes on March 1, down 1 percent from last year. Maine stored 7 percent less than a year ago, while New York's potato stocks increased 86 percent from 2005.