Modest Drop in Potato Harvest

WASHINGTON - Nov 9/16 - SNS -- Total United States potato production in 2016 from all seasons is forecast at 440 million cwt, down slightly from 2015, according to the USDA.

Harvested area, at 1.01 million acres, is down 4% from last year. Average yield is forecast at 436 cwt per acre, up 18 cwt from the previous year and if realized, will be a record high.

Production of fall potatoes for 2016 is forecast at 405 million cwt, up slightly from last year. Area harvested, at 899,000 acres, is down 4% from the previous year. The average yield forecast, at 451 cwt per acre, is up 18 cwt from last year's yield and if realized, will be a record high.

Growers in Idaho and Alaska are expecting record high yields. If realized, the Montana yield forecast will tie the 2009 record high.

Potato Area Planted and Harvested, Yield, and Production by Seasonal Group - States and
United States: 2015 and Forecasted November 1, 2016
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Seasonal group      :  Area planted   : Area harvested  :Yield per acre :   Production
         and State         :---------------------------------------------------------------------
                           :  2015  :  2016  :  2015  :  2016  : 2015  : 2016  :  2015  :  2016
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           :----------- 1,000 acres ----------    --- cwt ---   --- 1,000 cwt --
                           :
Spring 1/                  :
United States .............:   74.1     51.0     72.5     48.0    286     316    20,770   15,171
                           :
Summer 1/                  :
United States .............:   50.5     62.6     47.1     60.1    334     320    15,734   19,218
                           :
Fall                       :
California ................:    8.4      7.9      8.4      7.9    420     445     3,528    3,516
Colorado ..................:   57.7     57.0     57.4     56.8    393     386    22,575   21,944
 San Luis Valley ..........:   51.9     50.9     51.8     50.8    385     380    19,943   19,304
 All other areas ..........:    5.8      6.1      5.6      6.0    470     440     2,632    2,640
Idaho .....................:  323.0    325.0    322.0    324.0    405     430   130,400  139,320
 10 Southwest counties 2/ .:   16.0     (NA)     16.0     (NA)    500    (NA)     8,000     (NA)
 Other Idaho counties 2/ ..:  307.0     (NA)    306.0     (NA)    400    (NA)   122,400     (NA)
Maine .....................:   51.0     46.5     50.5     46.0    320     315    16,160   14,490
Massachusetts 2/ ..........:    3.6     (NA)      3.6     (NA)    305    (NA)     1,098     (NA)
Michigan ..................:   46.0     48.0     45.0     46.5    390     370    17,550   17,205
Minnesota .................:   41.0     43.0     40.5     42.0    400     420    16,200   17,640
Montana ...................:   11.0     11.3     10.9     11.2    325     340     3,543    3,808
                           :
Nebraska ..................:   15.5     16.0     15.3     15.9    450     445     6,885    7,076
Nevada 2/ .................:    (D)     (NA)      (D)     (NA)    (D)    (NA)       (D)     (NA)
New Mexico 2/ .............:    (D)     (NA)      (D)     (NA)    (D)    (NA)       (D)     (NA)
New York ..................:   15.0     14.0     14.8     13.8    280     240     4,144    3,312
North Dakota ..............:   82.0     80.0     80.0     64.0    345     310    27,600   19,840
Ohio 2/ ...................:    1.3     (NA)      1.2     (NA)    230    (NA)       276     (NA)
Oregon ....................:   39.0     39.0     38.9     38.9    560     595    21,784   23,146
Pennsylvania 2/ ...........:    5.4     (NA)      5.3     (NA)    280    (NA)     1,484     (NA)
Rhode Island 2/ ...........:    0.6     (NA)      0.6     (NA)    135    (NA)        81     (NA)
Washington ................:  170.0    170.0    170.0    169.0    590     630   100,300  106,470
Wisconsin .................:   63.0     64.0     62.5     63.0    445     435    27,813   27,405
                           :
Other States 3/ ...........:    8.0        -      7.9        -    415       -     3,280        -
                           :
United States .............:  941.5    921.7    934.8    899.0    433     451   404,701  405,172
                           :
All                        :
United States .............:1,066.1  1,035.3  1,054.4  1,007.1    418     436   441,205  439,561
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    Represents zero.
(D)  Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
(NA) Not available.
1/   Estimates for current year carried forward from an earlier forecast.
2/   Estimates discontinued in 2016.
3/   Includes data withheld above.
Potato Area Planted and Harvested, Yield, and Production - Alaska: 2015-2016
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :               Area                :     Yield      :
   Crop  :-----------------------------------:      per       :   Production
   year  :     Planted     :    Harvested    :      acre      :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :       ------- acres -------              cwt           1,000 cwt
         :
2015 ....:       560               540              260              140
2016 ....:       500               490              320              157
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------