U.S. Potato Stocks Up On Year

WASHINGTON - Mar 14/08 - SNS -- Potato stocks in the major producing regions of the United States are up 8% over last year at 172 million cwt (100 pound units), according to the USDA.

Potatoes in storage accounted for 43% of the 2007 fall storage States' production, up 2 percentage points from last year. Klamath Basin stocks totaled 2.05 million cwt on March 1, 2008, 7% lower than last year. Klamath Basin includes California and Klamath County, Oregon potato stocks.

Disappearance of 228 million cwt from the start of harvest to March 1 was down 1% from last year but up 4% from 2006. Shrink and loss, at 19.7 million cwt, was down 3% from the previous year but 7% above the same date in 2006.

Processors have used 123 million cwt of 2007 crop potatoes so far this season, down 3% from a year ago but 8% above 2 years ago. Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon total processing decreased 1% from a year ago, as did Maine's total processing. Washington and the rest of Oregon total processing was down 5% from last season. Dehydrating usage was 25.2 million cwt of the total processing, down 10% from last year but 11% above the same date in 2006.

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