Throughout the marketing year for the 2010 potato crop, Idaho production and stocks on hand estimates are the lowest since the 1989 crop. The market year average fresh price for 1989, at $10.30 per cwt, is still the highest on record in Idaho.
For the size of the 2010 crop, disappearance in Idaho has been strong, especially for fresh movement. Through April 1, fresh shipments for the 2010 crop have been below only the 2009 crop when looking at the past six seasons. Processing usage is a different story. Processing of Idaho potatoes through April 1 is at the lowest level in the past 20 years. Both processors and fresh shippers ran large volumes of stored potatoes last August, delaying movement of the 2010 crop.
As of April 1, the 13 major potato states held 106 million cwt of potatoes in storage, down 18 percent from the previous year. Just over 40 percent, or 42.5 million cwt, of those potatoes were held in Idaho.
Source, USDA NASS