Potato Stocks Publication

Potato Stocks
ISSN: 1949-1565

Released December 16, 2021, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Potato Stocks Down 2 Percent from December 2021
Potato States held 265 million cwt in storage on December 1, 2021, down 2 percent from December 1, 2020. Potatoes in
storage accounted for 64 percent of the States' 2021 production compared with 64 percent a year earlier. The indicated
potato disappearance, at 148 million cwt, was down 1 percent from the same period last year. Season-to-date shrink and
loss, at 13.2 million cwt, was 10 percent higher than the same time last year. Processors in the 8 States used
75.9 million cwt of potatoes for the season, up 5 percent from December 2020.
Potato Production and Stocks – 13 States: December 1, 2020-2021
[Stocks include processor holdings and most of the seed to plant following year's crop.]
Crop of 2020
State

Crop of 2021

Production

Stocks
December 1,
2020

December stocks
as a percent
of
production

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(percent)

Production

Stocks
December 1,
2021

December stocks
as a percent
of
production

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(percent)

California ...............
Colorado ................
Florida ...................
Idaho .....................
Maine ....................
Michigan ................
Minnesota ..............
Nebraska ...............
North Dakota .........
Oregon ..................

12,861
22,596
5,304
134,775
13,462
17,550
17,922
9,212
23,800
27,000

1,800
16,900
(D)
95,000
9,800
10,900
12,500
5,000
17,100
22,400

14
75
(D)
70
73
62
70
54
72
83

12,348
21,141
5,373
132,090
18,423
20,008
17,598
9,167
21,000
25,536

1,300
15,400
(D)
92,500
14,100
12,400
12,600
5,300
14,900
20,000

11
73
(D)
70
77
62
72
58
71
78

Texas ....................
Washington ...........
Wisconsin ..............

7,115
99,653
28,770

(D)
57,000
17,900

(D)
57
62

6,020
93,308
31,150

(D)
52,000
22,000

(D)
56
74

Other States 1 ........

-

4,000

(X)

-

2,800

(X)

Total ......................

420,020

270,300

64

413,162

265,300

64

Klamath Basin 2 .....

(NA)

4,800

(NA)

(NA)

4,000

(NA)

- Represents zero.
(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
(NA) Not available.
(X) Not applicable.
1
Includes data withheld above.
2
Includes potato stocks in California and Klamath County, Oregon. Already included in the total.

Potato Production and Stocks – 13 States: 2012-2021
[Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun]
Crop
year

Production

December 1

February 1

April 1

June 1

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

2012 .................
2013 .................
2014 .................
2015 .................
2016 .................
2017 .................
2018 .................
2019 1 ...............
2020 .................
2021 .................

410,367
388,204
399,118
403,062
412,688
406,800
414,359
424,419
420,020
413,162

271,500
(NA)
267,500
267,900
275,800
277,900
279,300
269,200
270,300
265,300

204,600
(NA)
206,600
205,900
213,000
210,600
212,800
203,000
205,100

(NA)
119,450
139,200
137,200
142,600
138,800
144,700
127,000
124,800

(NA)
47,085
63,535
60,080
67,570
63,740
70,370
58,000
56,400

(NA) Not available.
1
Beginning in 2019, production represents all potatoes.

Potato Stocks by Type as Percent of Total Stocks – 13 States: December 1, 2020-2021
Potato types
Whites
State

Reds

Yellows

Russets

Round
whites

Long
whites

All 1

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020

2021

2020
(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

California ....................................
Colorado .....................................
Florida .........................................
Idaho ...........................................
Maine ..........................................
Michigan .....................................
Minnesota ...................................
Nebraska ....................................
North Dakota ...............................
Oregon ........................................

6
4
(D)
2
4
(D)
5
(D)
16
(D)

8
4
(D)
3
6
1
7
(D)
18
(D)

47
(D)
(D)
3
39
79
4
61
27
2

(percent)
(D)
(D)
(D)
1
(D)
2
2

39
3
(D)
(D)
30
82
4
69
26
(D)

20
7
(D)
(D)
4
(D)
(D)
(D)
3
(D)

23
7
(D)
(D)
4
1
1
(D)
4
(D)

27
86
(D)
92
52
18
88
37
52
92

30
86
(D)
93
60
16
88
29
52
92

Texas ..........................................
Washington .................................
Wisconsin ...................................

(D)
3
5

(D)
3
6

(D)
(D)
31

(D)
(D)
-

(D)
5
33

(D)
3
2

(D)
3
2

(D)
89
62

(D)
89
59

13 State average .........................

4

4

13

1

14

3

3

79

79

- Represents zero.
(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
1
Beginning in 2021 data for round white potatoes and long white potatoes are discontinued.

2

Potato Stocks (December 2021)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Quantity of Potatoes Used for Processing – 8 States: 2020-2022
[Total quantity received and used for processing regardless of the State in which the potatoes were produced. Blank cells indicate estimation period
has not yet begun]
Current
year

State

December 1,
2020
(1,000 cwt)

Following year
January 1,
2021

February 1,
2021

March 1,
2021

April 1,
2021

May 1,
2021

June 1,
2021

Season

(1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon ........
Maine .....................................................
Washington and Oregon .........................

27,195
1,475
31,930

34,360
1,750
38,235

41,695
2,095
45,085

49,565
2,400
53,300

57,390
2,720
60,990

64,815
3,055
68,955

73,065
3,375
78,055

90,755
4,307
89,406

Other States 1 .........................................

11,380

14,854

18,134

21,545

25,200

28,587

32,302

38,101

United States ..........................................

71,980

89,199

107,009

126,810

146,300

165,412

186,797

222,569

13,140

16,435

19,715

23,245

27,090

30,780

34,430

43,735

Dehydrated 2 ...........................................

Current
year

State

December 1,
2021
(1,000 cwt)

Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon ........
Maine .....................................................
Washington and Oregon .........................

27,070
1,735
34,975

Other States 1 .........................................

12,096

United States ..........................................

75,876

2

Dehydrated ...........................................

Following year
January 1,
2022

February 1,
2022

March 1,
2022

April 1,
2022

May 1,
2022

June 1,
2022

Season

(1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt) (1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

11,855

1

Other States include Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
2
Dehydrated products except starch and flour. Includes Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington.

Accumulated Potato Shrinkage and Loss – 13 States: 2020-2022
[Blank cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun]
Crop
year

2020 ....
Crop
year

2021 ....

Current
year

Following year

December 1, 2020

January 1, 2021

February 1, 2021

March 1, 2021

April 1, 2021

May 1, 2021

June 1, 2021

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

12,076

13,766

15,591

Current
year

17,386

19,118

20,871

22,181

Following year

December 1, 2021

January 1, 2022

February 1, 2022

March 1, 2022

April 1, 2022

May 1, 2022

June 1, 2022

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

(1,000 cwt)

13,233

Potato Stocks (December 2021)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

3

Statistical Methodology
Survey Procedures: The December 1 potato stock estimates in this report are based primarily on a survey conducted in
the first week of December in the potato producing States. The potato stocks survey is a probability survey that includes a
sample of approximately 840 growers, processors, and storage facilities that are contacted to obtain the quantity of
potatoes stored as of the first of the month, as well as monthly shrinkage and loss information.
Monthly processing data is collected from a census of all known potato processing facilities in eight States (Colorado,
Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin). An effort is made to obtain a report from
all facilities. Estimates are made for missing facilities to make the survey complete.
Data was collected by mail, internet, telephone, or personal interview to obtain information on potato stocks, monthly
potato processing, and monthly shrink and loss.
Estimating Procedures: Information obtained from the potato stocks survey, processing survey, and federal
administrative data, is used to establish estimates of stocks, shrinkage and loss, and processing usage. These estimates are
reviewed for errors, reasonableness, and consistency with historical estimates.
Revision Policy: Stocks, shrink and loss, and processing estimates for the previous estimating period are subject to
revision based on late and/or updated information. At the end of the marketing season, all information available, including
disposition data, are thoroughly reviewed and any necessary revisions for the entire crop year are published in the
Potatoes Annual Summary released in September.
Reliability: Reliability of the stocks and processing data must be treated separately because the survey designs for the two
surveys are very different. The stocks estimates are subject to sampling variability because all operations holding stocks
are not included in the sample. This variability, as measured by the relative standard error at the United States level, is
approximately 1.1 percent. This means that chances are approximately 95 out of 100 that the survey estimates for stocks
will be within plus or minus 2.2 percent of the value that could be developed by averaging the estimates produced from all
possible samples selected from the same population and surveyed using the same procedures.
Survey indications are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omission, duplication, imputation for missing data, and
mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. Processing, as well as stocks, are subject to these types of errors.
These errors cannot be measured directly, but they are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection
process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness.

4

Potato Stocks (December 2021)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Information Contacts
Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Crops Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact
for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@usda.gov
Lance Honig, Chief, Crops Branch ....................................................................................................... (202) 720-2127
Fleming Gibson, Head, Fruits, Vegetables and Special Crops Section ................................................ (202) 720-2127
Fleming Gibson – Blueberries, Cranberries, Cucumbers, Pistachios, Potatoes, Pumpkins,
Raspberries, Squash, Strawberries, Sugarbeets, Sugarcane, Sweet Potatoes ............................ (202) 720-2127
Robert Little – Apricots, Dry Beans, Lettuce, Macadamia, Maple Syrup,
Nectarines, Pears, Snap Beans, Spinach, Tomatoes .................................................................. (202) 720-3250
Deonne Holiday – Almonds, Apples, Asparagus, Carrots, Coffee, Onions,
Plums, Prunes, Sweet Corn, Tobacco ........................................................................................ (202) 720-4288
Krishna Rizal – Artichokes, Cauliflower, Celery, Garlic, Grapefruit, Hazelnuts,
Kiwifruit, Lemons, Mandarins and tangerines, Mint, Mushrooms, Olives, Oranges, ............... (202) 720-5412
Chris Wallace – Avocados, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chickpeas,
Chile Peppers, Dates, Floriculture, Grapes, Hops, Pecans ........................................................ (202) 720-4215
Antonio Torres – Cantaloupes, Dry Edible Peas, Green Peas, Honeydews, Lentils,
Papayas, Peaches, Sweet Cherries, Tart Cherries, Walnuts, Watermelons ............................... (202) 720-2157

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