Potato production in 2013 is revised to 435 million cwt, down 1 percent from the estimate in the January Crop Production 2013 Summary and 6 percent below the 2012 crop. Harvested area, at 1.05 million acres, is down 7 percent from 2012. The average yield of 414 cwt per acre is up 5 cwt from the previous year.
Spring potato final production for 2013 is 22.1 million cwt, 17 percent below the previous year. Texas Spring Potato production was discontinued in 2013, and now that production value is included in the summer total for Texas. Harvested acres, at 72,900 acres, decreased 23 percent from 2012. The average yield for spring potatoes is 304 cwt per acre, up 21 cwt from 2012. Summer potato production is 17.2 million cwt for 2013, a 5 percent decrease from 2012. Colorado Summer production estimates were discontinued in 2013 and are now being included in the Fall total for Colorado. Harvested area, at 47,500 acres, is down 2 percent from 2012. The average yield of 363 cwt per acre is down 10 cwt from 2012. Fall potato production is finalized at 395 million cwt for 2013, down 5 percent from the 2012 crop. Area harvested in 2013 is 930,500 acres, down 6 percent from the previous year. The average fall potato yield, at 425 cwt per acre, was up 2 cwt from 2012.
The value of all potatoes sold in 2013, at $3.93 billion, increased slightly from the previous year. The average price, at $9.71 per cwt, is up $1.08 from 2012. The quantity of potatoes sold from the 2013 crop totaled 404 million cwt, down 6 percent from 2012. Sales account for 93 percent of 2013 production, unchanged from the previous year.
Processors used 276 million cwt of raw potatoes from the 2013 crop, down 3 percent from 2012. Table stock sales totaled 104 million cwt, 12 percent below the previous year. Seed sales of 22.4 million cwt are down 5 percent from 2012. Sales for livestock feed, at 1.25 million cwt, decreased significantly from 2012.
Potatoes used for chips and shoestrings totaled 60.2 million cwt in 2013, up 2 percent from the previous year. Frozen french fries and other frozen products utilized 158 million cwt of raw potatoes, down 3 percent from 2012. Potatoes used for dehydrating totaled 47.8 million cwt, down 4 percent from 2012. Canning use, at 1.31 million cwt, is down 47 percent from the previous year. Starch, flour, and other products were made from 8.58 million cwt of potatoes, an 8 percent increase from 2012.
Shrinkage and loss is estimated at 26.2 million cwt for 2013, 8 percent below 2012. Potatoes used for livestock feed on farms where grown and home use totaled 1.11 million cwt, and decreased significantly from the previous season. Growers kept 3.22 million cwt for seed on their own farms, down 2 percent from 2012.
Check the state by state breakdown in the full USDA Potatoes report. (.pdf)