HDR1012000110080113951500POTATO STOCKS
HDR2012000110080113951500PSTKS HIGHLIGHTS
Released January 13, 1995, by the Agricultural Statistics Board.

                           Potato Stocks Up 5 Percent

January 1, 1995, potato stocks totalled 229 million cwt in the 15 storage
States, up 5 percent from a year earlier and 6 percent above two years ago.
Disappearance so far this season was up 9 percent, helped by a 9 percent gain in
processing.  Shrink and loss of 21.4 million cwt was 6 percent above last year
and 5 percent above two years ago.

For information call Arvin Budge at (202) 720-4285.  Office hours are 8:00 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Pot 1-2 (1-95)


HDR2012000110080113951500FALL POTATOES: PROD&STKS, 15 MAJ STS '85-94
         Fall Potatoes:  Production and Stocks, 15 Major States, 1985-94
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Crop  :          :         :         :         :         :         :
  Year  :Production:  Dec 1  :  Jan 1  :  Feb 1  :  Mar 1  :  Apr 1  : May 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        :                              1,000 Cwt
        :
1985    :  343,984   235,475   202,800   171,510   138,720   104,540   65,380
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    :  400,385   263,630   229,350
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HDR2012000110080113951500POTATOES: QUANTITY USED PRCSNG, 8 STS '92-94
       Potatoes:  Quantity Used for Processing, Eight States, 1992-94 1/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     State and    :        :        :       :        :       :       :
     Crop Year    :  Dec 1 :  Jan 1 : Feb 1 :  Mar 1 : Apr 1 : May 1 : Season
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :                           1,000 Cwt
ID & OR-Malheur Co:
  1992            :  22,180   29,080  35,710  42,800  50,090   57,090  80,570
  1993            :  24,090   30,540  37,150  44,720  53,070   61,440  85,780
  1994            :  26,620   34,230
                  :
ME 2/             :
  1992            :   1,195    1,630   2,205   2,720   3,390    4,020   5,055
  1993            :   1,350    1,720   2,210   2,505   2,890    3,275   4,555
  1994            :   1,510    1,840
                  :
WA & OR-Other     :
  1992            :  26,840   31,550  35,950  41,670  46,530   51,630  63,510
  1993            :  28,260   33,350  39,010  45,020  51,290   57,180  70,690
  1994            :  28,690   33,500
                  :
Oth Sts 3/        :
  1992            :   7,140    9,220  11,265  13,305  15,550   17,555  25,070
  1993            :   7,605    9,515  11,605  13,720  16,080   18,705  25,690
  1994            :   8,790   12,045
                  :
Total             :
  1992            :  57,355   71,480  85,130 100,495 115,560  130,295 174,205
  1993            :  61,305   75,125  89,975 105,965 123,330  140,600 186,715
  1994            :  65,610   81,615
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


HDR2012000110080113951500FALL POTATOES: PROD&STKS ON JAN 1,'94-95
         Fall Potatoes:  Production and Stocks on January 1, 1994-95
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :         Crop of 1993      :        Crop of 1994
               :---------------------------------------------------------------
     State     :         : Stocks :   %    :        : Stocks : Stocks : Jan %
               :         : Jan 1, :   of   :        : Dec 1, : Jan 1, :   of
               :  Prod   :  1994  :  Prod  :  Prod  : 1994 1/:  1995  :  Prod
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :   -- 1,000 Cwt --  Percent    ----- 1,000 Cwt -----    Percent
               :
CA             :   4,800    3,200       67    4,400    3,300    3,000       68
CO             :  25,270   15,800       63   25,795   18,900   16,300       63
ID             : 126,192   85,000       67  134,340   95,500   84,500       63
ME             :  19,890   12,700       64   17,250   13,400   11,400       66
MI             :  11,780    5,800       49   12,180    7,600    6,100       50
MN             :  12,650    7,300       58   17,755   12,500   11,100       63
MT             :   2,700    2,500       93    3,200    3,040    3,000       94
NE             :   3,008    1,650       55    3,888    1,990    1,860       48
NY             :
  Long Island  :   1,643      400       24    1,617      700      500       31
  Upstate      :   6,050    1,600       26    6,188    3,500    2,800       45
ND             :  21,090   12,600       60   28,200   18,500   15,500       55
OH             :   1,140      150       13    1,348      300      190       14
OR             :  23,103   16,800       73   25,784   20,200   17,500       68
PA             :   4,600    1,800       39    3,780    2,200    1,600       42
WA             :  88,500   38,000       43   88,920   47,500   42,000       47
WI             :  22,588   12,500       55   25,740   14,500   12,000       47
               :
Total 15 States: 375,004  217,800       58  400,385  263,630  229,350       57
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Revised.

HDR2012000110080113951500FALL POTS: STKS TYP AS PCT OF TL STKS,'94-95
          Fall Potatoes:  Stocks by Type as Percent of Total Stocks,
                    11 Major States, January 1, 1994-95
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          :                           Potato Types
          :---------------------------------------------------------------------
   State  :          Reds         :         Whites       :       Russets
          :---------------------------------------------------------------------
          :   Jan :  Dec   :  Jan :  Jan :  Dec   :  Jan :  Jan :  Dec   :  Jan
          :  1994 : 1994 1/: 1995 : 1994 : 1994 1/: 1995 : 1994 : 1994 1/: 1995
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          :                              Percent
          :
CO        :     7        4      4                            93       96     96
ID        :                            7        5      5     93       95     95
ME        :              1      1     78       78     82     22       21     17
MI        :                           75       70     75     25       30     25
MN        :    10       16     14     25       16     17     65       68     69
NY        :     7        5      5     91       93     93      2        2      2
ND        :    18       12     13     51       45     43     31       43     44
OR        :                            2        1      1     98       99     99
PA        :     3        3      3     97       97     97
WA        :              2      1      1        5      3     99       93     96
WI        :     5        2      3     15       20     20     80       78     77
          :
11 St Avg.:     2        3      2     17       17     16     81       80     82
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Revised.


HDR2012000110080113951500POTATO STOCKS NARRATIVES
                           Potato Stocks Up 5 Percent

The 15 major potato States held 229 million cwt of potatoes on January 1, 1995,
up 5 percent from a year earlier and 6 percent above 1993.  Storage accounted
for 57 percent of 1994 fall production, down 1 point from last year.  Stocks by
type were 2 percent red, 16 percent white, and 82 percent russet.  December 1
stocks were revised down slightly with Washington coming off down 500,000 cwt.

Disappearance from the start of harvest to January 1, was a record high
171 million cwt of potatoes, up 9 percent from the same period in 1993.
Disappearance in December 1994 was 34.3 million cwt, up 7 percent from last year
and 11 percent above two years ago.  Shrink and loss to date was estimated at
21.4 million cwt, up 6 percent from last year.

Processors continue to buy larger amounts of potatoes, using 81.6 million cwt so
far this season, a gain of 9 percent from a year ago and 14 percent above two
years ago.  During December, processing claimed 16.0 cwt of potatoes, up 16
percent from a year ago.

Eastern States stored 16.3 million cwt of potatoes on January 1, 1995, down 1
percent from a year ago and 22 percent below 1993.  Pennsylvania's stocks were
down 11 percent, Maine's holdings were off 10 percent but New York was up
sharply.

Central States accounted for 46.8 million cwt of potato stocks this January, a
gain of 17 percent from 1994, but 1 percent below two years ago.  Minnesota's
stocks jumped 52 percent from a poor crop  a year earlier and North Dakota was
up 23 percent.  Ohio gained 27 percent and Nebraska stored 13 percent more
potatoes on January 1 than a year ago.  Michigan's stocks were up 5 percent but
Wisconsin's stocks were down 4 percent.

Western States held 166 million cwt of potatoes in storage on January 1, 1995, a
gain of 3 percent from 1994 and 12 percent more than two years ago.  Most of the
Western stocks are held in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.  Idaho cellars held 1
percent fewer potatoes this year than last, with very heavy movement.
Washington's stocks were up 11 percent and Oregon gained 4 percent.  Colorado's
stocks were 3 percent above a year ago and Montana was up 20 percent.
California stored 6 percent fewer potatoes than a year earlier.


HDR2012000110080113951500RELIABILITY OF JAN 1 STKS ESTIMATES
                    Reliability of January 1 Stocks Estimates

The "Root Mean Square Error" for the January 1 stocks estimate is 2.7 percent.
This means that the chances are 2 out of 3 that the current estimate of
230 million cwt will not be above or below the final estimate by more than 2.7
percent or approximately 6.2 million cwt.  Chances are 9 out of 10 (90 percent
confidence level) that the difference will not exceed 4.7 percent or
approximately 10.8 million cwt.

The 10-year (1985-94) record of the differences between the January 1 stocks
estimates and the final estimates averaged 4.5 million cwt, ranging from
0.1 million to 14.3 million cwt. During the 10-year period, the January 1
estimate has been below the final estimate each year.

HDR2012000110080113951500FALL POTATO STKS: PREL&FNL JAN STKS US '84-94
           Fall Potato Stocks:  Preliminary and Final January Stocks,
                        United States, 1984-94 Crop Year
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Crop   :       Preliminary     :    % of        :             Final
  Year   :          Stocks       :    Final       :             Stocks 1/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         :       1,000 Cwt            Percent                1,000 Cwt
         :
 1984    :       172,860                  99.7               173,380
 1985    :       201,300                  99.3               202,800
 1986    :       176,600                  97.6               180,915
 1987    :       195,880                  99.6               196,760
 1988    :       171,560                  96.5               177,750
 1989    :       173,400                  99.9               173,550
 1990    :       186,160                  95.7               194,460
 1991    :       210,935                 100.0               211,005
 1992    :       201,690                  93.4               215,990
 1993    :       209,270                  96.1               217,800
 1994    :       229,350
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  As reported in the September "Potatoes" 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 90.6 percent of the total fall production.
       Shrinkage, loss and home use account for the remaininq 9.4 percent.
       Most seed for use the following year is on hand, but remains as
       part of stocks until planted.


HDR2012000110080113951500NXT RLSE DATE & EEO STATEMENT
The next "Potato Stocks" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on
February 14, 1995.

                             ***********************

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,
disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status.  Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program
information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the
USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 (TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C.,
20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD).  USDA is an equal
employment opportunity employer.