HDR1012000110080214961500POTATO STOCKS                                          
HDR2012000110080214961500PSTK HIGHLIGHTS                                        
Released February 14, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service     
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For     
information on "Potato Stocks" call Arvin Budge at (202) 720-4285, office hours 
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.  For assistance with general agricultural statistics,
information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information  
Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV.                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
              Potato Stocks 8 Percent Below Last Year                           
                                                                                
February 1, 1996 potato stocks totaled 185 million cwt, down 8 percent from a   
year earlier and 1 percent below two years ago.  Disappearance was 207 million  
cwt, slightly below a year ago but 10 percent above two years ago.  Processing  
accounted for 103 million cwt through January, 4 percent more than last year and
15 percent above two years ago.  Shrink and loss of 22.9 million cwt was down   
3 percent from last year.                                                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Pot 1-2 (2-96)                                                                  
HDR2012000110080214961500FALL POTATOES: 15 MJ STS,  86-95                       
        Fall Potatoes:  Production and Stocks, 15 Major States, 1986-95         
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   Crop  :          :         :         :         :         :         :         
   Year  :Production:  Dec 1  :  Jan 1  :  Feb 1  :  Mar 1  :  Apr 1  :   May 1 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :                              1,000 Cwt                               
         :                                                                      
1986     : 307,928    209,435   180,915   154,545   128,720    95,090   59,790  
1987     : 335,607    225,890   196,760   167,325   138,800   105,905   70,030  
1988     : 305,623    206,420   177,750   151,050   124,485    92,585   59,355  
1989     : 316,097    202,050   173,550   144,290   116,600    84,320   50,675  
1990     : 344,200    225,500   194,460   162,850   134,470   101,150   63,040  
1991     : 363,541    242,070   211,005   178,515   145,820   108,865   69,110  
1992     : 368,516    246,820   215,990   184,560   152,795   115,785   75,040  
1993     : 375,004    249,710   217,800   186,090   154,135   115,970   73,860  
1994     : 409,009    271,890   237,560   201,870   168,770   128,825   87,500  
1995     : 391,816    252,080   218,970   184,755                               
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HDR2012000110080214961500POTATOES:QUANTITY USD FOR PROCSNG,8 STS  93-95         
        Potatoes:  Quantity Used for Processing, Eight States, 1993-95 1/       
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     State and     :        :        :       :        :       :       :         
     Crop Year     : Dec 1  : Jan 1  : Feb 1 : Mar 1  : Apr 1 :  May 1: Season  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   :                         1,000 Cwt                          
                   :                                                            
ID & OR-Malheur Co :                                                            
  1993             : 24,090   30,540   37,150  44,720   53,070  61,440   85,780 
  1994             : 26,620   34,230   42,330  49,890   57,990  66,680   90,300 
  1995             : 27,310   35,040   43,260                                   
                   :                                                            
ME 2/              :                                                            
  1993             :  1,350    1,720    2,210   2,505    2,890   3,275    4,555 
  1994             :  1,505    1,840    2,265   2,540    2,985   3,330    4,770 
  1995             :  1,335    1,685    2,200                                   
                   :                                                            
WA & OR-Other      :                                                            
  1993             : 28,260   33,350   39,010  45,020   51,290  57,180   70,690 
  1994             : 28,670   33,480   39,120  46,070   52,940  59,540   76,780 
  1995             : 30,000   35,170   39,460                                   
                   :                                                            
Oth Sts 3/         :                                                            
  1993             :  7,605    9,515   11,605  13,720   16,080  18,705   25,690 
  1994             :  9,725   13,110   15,630  18,260   21,115  24,060   32,260 
  1995             : 12,360   15,330   18,415                                   
                   :                                                            
Total              :                                                            
  1993             : 61,305   75,125   89,975 105,965  123,330 140,600  186,715 
  1994             : 66,520   82,660   99,345 116,760  135,030 153,610  204,110 
  1995             : 71,005   87,225  103,335                                   
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1/  Total quantity received and used for processing regardless of the State in  
    which the potatoes were produced.  Amount excludes quantities used for      
    potato chips in ME, MI, MN, ND, and WI.                                     
2/  Includes Maine grown potatoes only.                                         
3/  MI, MN, ND, and WI.                                                         
                                                                                
HDR2012000110080214961500POTATOES:PROD & STKS ON FEB 1,  95-96                  
     Potatoes:  Production and Stocks on February 1, 1995-96                    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :         Crop of 1994          :         Crop of 1995          
                :---------------------------------------------------------------
      State     :           :  Stocks   :   %   :           :  Stocks   :   %   
                :   Prod    :  Feb 1,   :  of   :   Prod    :  Feb 1,   :  of   
                :           :   1995    : Prod  :           :   1996    : Prod  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                :  ---- 1,000 Cwt ----   Percent   ---- 1,000 Cwt ----   Percent
                :                                                               
CA              :    5,600       3,200     57        5,330       2,600     49   
CO              :   25,795      13,700     53       23,808      13,400     56   
ID              :  138,801      78,000     56      131,274      72,500     55   
ME              :   18,375       9,400     51       17,160      10,400     61   
MI              :   12,180       5,000     41       16,500       6,000     36   
MN              :   17,755       9,400     53       20,790      10,200     49   
MT              :    3,200       2,860     89        2,940       2,650     90   
NE              :    3,996       1,780     45        3,680       1,880     51   
NY              :    7,805       1,800     23        7,695       2,250     29   
ND              :   28,200      12,500     44       25,410      11,500     45   
OH              :    1,348         130     10        1,404          75      5   
OR              :   27,514      15,200     55       23,760      11,700     49   
PA              :    3,780       1,100     29        4,080       1,200     29   
WA              :   88,920      37,500     42       80,850      28,500     35   
WI              :   25,740      10,300     40       27,135       9,900     36   
                :                                                               
Total 15 State  :  409,009     201,870     49      391,816     184,755     47   
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HDR2012000110080214961500FALL POTATOES:STKS BY TYP AS % OF TL STKS              
           Fall Potatoes:  Stocks by Type as Percent of Total Stocks,           
                      11 Major States, February 1, 1995-96                      
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                          Potato Types                          
               :----------------------------------------------------------------
     State     :        Reds         :       Whites       :       Russets       
               :----------------------------------------------------------------
               :   1995   :   1996   :  1995   :   1996   :   1995   :   1996   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                            Percent                             
               :                                                                
CO             :     4          6                              96         94    
ID             :                          5         10         95         90    
ME             :     1          3        81         66         18         31    
MI             :                         75         75         25         25    
MN             :    12         11        16         18         72         71    
NY             :     5          5        93         93          2          2    
ND             :    12         16        44         29         44         55    
OR             :                1         1          3         99         96    
PA             :     3          3        97         97                          
WA             :                1                    3        100         96    
WI             :     2          2        17         26         81         72    
               :                                                                
11 State Avg.  :     2          3        14         17         84         80    
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HDR2012000110080214961500RELIAB. OF FEB 1 STKS EST.& FALL POT STK               
                   Reliability of February 1 Stocks Estimates                   
                                                                                
The "Root Mean Square Error" for the February 1 stocks estimate is 3.4  percent.
This means that the chances are 2 out of 3 that the current estimate of         
185 million cwt will not be above or below the final estimate by more than      
3.4 percent or approximately 6.3 million cwt.  Chances are 9 out of 10          
(90 percent confidence level) that the difference will not exceed 5.9 percent   
or approximately 10.9 million cwt.                                              
                                                                                
The 10-year 1986-95 record of the differences between the February 1 stocks     
estimates and the final estimates averaged 5.0 million cwt, ranging from        
0.2 million to 14.2 million cwt.  During the 10-year period, the February 1     
estimate has been below the final estimate 9 out of 10 years.                   
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
           Fall Potato Stocks:  Preliminary and Final February Stocks,          
                             United States, 1985-95                             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Crop   :      Preliminary      :        % of         :         Final         
   Year   :        Stocks         :        Final        :       Stocks 1/       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          :       1,000 Cwt               Percent               1,000 Cwt       
          :                                                                     
1985      :        169,810                  99.0                 171,510        
1986      :        150,640                  97.5                 154,545        
1987      :        167,110                  99.9                 167,325        
1988      :        144,625                  95.7                 151,050        
1989      :        143,150                  99.2                 144,290        
1990      :        154,310                  94.8                 162,850        
1991      :        178,965                 100.3                 178,515        
1992      :        170,385                  92.3                 184,560        
1993      :        178,070                  95.7                 186,090        
1994      :        196,005                  97.1                 201,870        
1995      :        184,755                                                      
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1/  As reported in the September "Potato" annual report.                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Note:  Stocks are defined as the quantity (whether sold or not) remaining       
       in storage for all purposes and uses, including seed potatoes not yet    
       moved and shrinkage, waste, and other losses that occur after the        
       date of each report.  Sales of fall potatoes for all purposes for        
       the past 5 years averaged 91.0 percent of the total fall production      
                                                                                
       Shrinkage, loss and home use account for the remaining 9.0 percent.      
       Most seed for use the following year is on hand but remains as           
       part of stocks until planted.                                            
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
HDR2012000110080214961500PSTK NARRATIVE,NXT RLSE DATE&EEO STMNT                 
                   Potato Stocks Down 8 Percent                                 
                                                                                
                                                                                
The 15 major potato States held 185 million cwt of potatoes on February 1, 1996,
down 8 percent from a year earlier and 1 percent below 1994.  Storage accounted 
for 47 percent of 1995 fall production down two points from last year.  Stocks  
by type were 3 percent red, 17 percent white, and 80 percent russets with fewer 
russets and more whites and reds than a year ago.                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
Disappearance from the start of harvest to February 1 was 207 million cwt of    
potatoes, down slightly from the same period a year earlier.  Disappearance in  
January was 34.2 million cwt, down 4 percent from last year but 8 percent above 
two years ago.  Shrink and loss to date was estimated at 22.9 million cwt, down 
3  percent from last year.                                                      
                                                                                
                                                                                
Processing swelled 4 percent to 103 million cwt so far this season and was      
15 percent above two years ago.  In January, processors claimed 16.1 million cwt
of potatoes, down 3 percent from a year ago but 8 percent above two years ago.  
                                                                                
                                                                                
Eastern States stored 13.9 million cwt of potatoes on February 1, 1996, up 13   
percent from a year ago and 7 percent above 1994.  Pennsylvania's stocks were up
9 percent.  Maine's holdings were up 11 percent, while New York rose 25 percent.
                                                                                
                                                                                
Central States accounted for 39.6 million cwt of potato stocks this month, up 1 
percent from 1995 and 22 percent above 1994.  Minnesota's stocks gained         
9 percent, including potatoes from former summer areas that were not counted    
last year.  Michigan's stocks jumped 20 percent, also including some from former
summer areas.  North Dakota's stocks were off 8 percent and Wisconsin slipped   
4 percent.  Nebraska's stocks increased 6 percent as Ohio's storage shrank      
42 percent.                                                                     
                                                                                
                                                                                
Western States held 131 million cwt of potatoes in storage on February 1, 1996, 
off 13 percent from a year ago and 7 percent below two years ago.  Each of the  
Western storage States are below  a year ago.  Idaho is down 7 percent, Oregon  
fell 23 percent, and Washington dropped 24 percent.  Colorado's stocks slipped  
2 percent below last year.  These four States account for 68 percent of U. S.   
Potato stocks and are down 13 percent from last year.  California stored        
19 percent fewer potatoes than a year earlier and Montana dropped 7 percent.    
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
The next "Potato Stocks" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on March 14, 1996.
                                                                                
                                                                                
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