The USDA-NASS has published an overview of their estimates regarding last year's potato crop in Potatoes 2016 Summary (September 2017) which show slight growth in total production compared to the year prior.
Overall potato production
Potato production in 2016 totalled 441 million cwt, up slightly from the estimate in the Crop Production 2016 Summary and the 2015 crop. Harvested area, at 1.02 million acres, was down 3 percent from 2015. The average yield of 433 cwt per acre was up 15 cwt from the previous year.
The value of all potatoes sold in 2016, at $3.74 billion, increased 4 percent from the previous year. The average price, at $9.08 per cwt, was up $0.32 from 2015.
Potato production by season
Spring potato final production for 2016 totaled 15.2 million cwt, 27 percent below the previous year. Harvested area, at 48,000 acres, decreased 34 percent from 2015. The average yield for spring potatoes was 316 cwt per acre, up 30 cwt from 2015.
Beginning in 2016, spring potato estimates were discontinued in Arizona. In addition, North Carolina estimates were moved to the summer potato program.
Summer potato production was 19.6 million cwt for 2016, a 25 percent increase from 2015. Harvested area, at 60,700 acres, was up 29 percent from 2015. The average yield of 323 cwt per acre was down 11 cwt from 2015.
Beginning in 2016, summer potato estimates were discontinued in Delaware. Estimates began in 2016 for North Carolina.
Fall potato production was estimated at 407 million cwt for 2016, up slightly from the 2015 crop. Area harvested in 2016 was 909,600 acres, 3 percent below the previous year. The average fall potato yield, at 447 cwt per acre, was up 14 cwt from 2015.
Beginning in 2016, fall potato estimates were discontinued in Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Use for processing
U.S. potatoes used for processing totalled 286 million cwt, up 3 percent from 2015. Potatoes used for chips and shoestrings totalled 60.3 million cwt, up 6 percent from the previous year. Frozen french fries and other frozen products utilised 170 million cwt of raw potatoes, up 2 percent from 2015. Potatoes used for dehydrating totalled 48.0 million cwt, virtually unchanged from 2015.
Canning use, at 1.93 million cwt, was up 13 percent from the previous year. Other products made from potatoes utilised 6.00 million cwt of potatoes, a 7 percent decrease from 2015.
Source: USDA
