USDA publishes Potatoes 2009 Annual Summary

The USDA has recently published their annual Potatoes Summary, reviewing the 2009 potato crop.

Potato production in 2009 is revised to 431 million cwt, down slightly from the estimate in the January Crop Production 2009 Summary but 4 percent above the 2008 crop.  Harvested area, at 1.04 million acres, is down 1 percent from 2008.  The average yield of 414 cwt per acre is a record high, up 18 cwt from 2008, the crop year with the previous record high.

Winter potato production in 2009 is 2.13 million cwt, down 16 percent from 2008.  Harvested area, at 8,700 acres, is 21 percent below 2008. The average yield for winter potatoes is 245 cwt per acre, up 15 cwt from 2008.

Spring potato final production for 2009 is 21.3 million cwt, 6 percent above the previous year. Harvested acres, at 73,700 acres, increased 7 percent from 2008.  The average yield for spring potatoes of 289 cwt per acre is down 4 cwt from 2008.

Summer potato production is 14.3 million cwt for 2009, 4 percent higher than 2008.  Harvested area, at 41,700 acres, is down 8 percent from 2008. The average yield of 343 cwt per acre is up 37 cwt from 2008.

Fall potato production is finalized at 394 million cwt for 2009, 4 percent above the 2008 crop.  Area harvested in 2009 is 917,200 acres, down 1 percent from the previous year.  The average yield, at 429 cwt per acre, is a record high, 18 cwt above the previous record high set in 2008.

The value of all potatoes sold in 2009, at $3.26 billion, increased 7 percent from the previous year.  The average price, at $8.19 per cwt, is down 0.90 from 2008. The quantity of potatoes sold from the 2009 crop totaled 398 million cwt, up 3 percent from 2008. Sales account for 92 percent of 2009 production, down 1 percent from the previous year.

Processors used 256 million cwt of raw potatoes from the 2009 crop, up 1 percent from 2008.

Table stock sales totaled 115 million cwt, 5 percent above the previous year.

Seed sales of 20.2 million cwt are down 3 percent from 2008.

Sales for livestock feed, at 6.53 million cwt, increased significantly from 2008.

Potatoes used for chips and shoestrings totaled 42.9 million cwt in 2009, down 16 percent from the previous year. 

Frozen french fries and other frozen products utilized 159 million cwt of raw potatoes, up 4 percent from 2008.

Potatoes used for dehydrating totaled 44.4 million cwt, up 9 percent from 2008.

Canning use, at 2.73 million cwt, is down 5 percent from the previous year.

Starch, flour, and other products were made from 6.49 million cwt of potatoes, 23 percent more than 2008.

Shrinkage and loss is estimated at 29.1 million cwt for 2009, 10 percent above 2008.

Potatoes used for livestock feed on farms where grown and home use totaled 1.19 million cwt, 44 percent above the previous season.

Growers kept 3.35 million cwt for seed on their own farms, 1 percent higher than a year earlier.