Potato Stocks Advance 3%

WASHINGTON - Mar 13/03 - SNS -- Potato stocks in the United States were are up over last year, but remain significantly below quantities on hand at this time in 2001.

In its latest stocks in all positions report, the USDA the 15 major potato States held 164 million cwt of potatoes in storage March 1, 2003, up 3% from last year but 17% below 2001. Storage accounts for 40% of the 2002 fall storage States' production, down 1%age point from last year.

Disappearance of 247 million cwt of potatoes from the 2002 crop, is up 8% from last year but 5% below 2000 movement. Shrink and loss, of 22.2 million cwt so far in the 2002 season, is up 2% from last year but 24% below two years ago.

Processors used 126 million cwt of 2002 crop potatoes so far this season, up 10% from a year ago but 4% below two years ago. February usage of 18.8 million cwt is 2% above last year and 3% above two years ago. Dehydrators used 28.0 million cwt to date. This processing report does not include chip potatoes from the Klamath Basin of Oregon and California.

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