overview
Potatoes (irish or white potatoes, not including sweet potatoes) are the most economically significant crop in the U.S. produce industry, earning farmers $3 billion in 2002. Additionally, such potato products as french fries and potato chips generate billions more in revenue for the food-processing and foodservice industries. The most significant trend for potatoes over the past 30-40 years has been the rise of frozen potato use and the decline of fresh use. ERS provides information, data, and economic analysis about the U.S. potato industry.

contents

• Background
• Market outlook
• Trade

features
Vegetables and Melons Outlook is an all-electronic, every-other-month, newsletter providing current intelligence and forecasts of changing conditions in the U.S. vegetable and melon sector. The newsletter contains a section on potatoes, as well as appendix tables with current potato data.

Country-of-Origin Labeling: Theory and Observation examines the economic rationale behind the various claims about the effect of country-of-origin labeling and indicates that mandatory country-of-origin labeling would likely generate more costs than benefits. Voluntary country-of-origin labeling is an option, but food suppliers have generally discounted the U.S. label as a quality attribute that can attract sufficient consumer interest.

recommended readings
Regulatory Barriers in International Horticultural Markets examines the impact of multilateral trade rules on the use of sanitary and phytosanitary measures applied to fruit and vegetable imports. These rules have lowered many unnecessary barriers to horticultural trade, primarily through requirements that regulations be transparent and based on science.

French Fries Driving Globalization of Frozen Potato Industry examines the growth of the frozen potato industry and the global expansion of potato production and processing. While traditional markets for frozen potato products such as the United States, Europe, Canada, and Japan show signs of maturing, potential growth markets still exist, particularly in Asia and South America.

Fast Food Growth Boosts Frozen Potato Consumption discusses the most significant changes in potato consumption over the past several decades, including the rising popularity of frozen potatoes. Food intake surveys show that African Americans and teenagers consume more potato chips and french fries, on a per capita basis, than do other Americans, while seniors prefer fresh and canned potatoes.

Background explores the market structure and economic trends in the potato industry, highlighting changes in acreage, yields, production, prices, and consumption.

recommended data products
Potato Facts provides 17 spreadsheets (.xls format) containing the most frequently requested potato market data including U.S. and world production, crop utilization, grower and retail prices, and more.

U.S. Potato Statistics provides nearly 100 time-series tables in downloadable spreadsheet files (.wk1 format) with data back to 1949 describing fresh and processing potato markets including prices, price spreads, consumer and producer price indexes, stocks, and trade data. Also included are State-level data on production, yield, price, and disposition.

Vegetables and Melons Yearbook contains 141 tables in spreadsheets (.xls format) detailing 25 years of annual and monthly data for U.S. acreage, production, prices, trade, per capita use, grower cash receipts, and more.

Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States (FATUS) provides U.S. agricultural exports and imports, volume and value, by country, by commodity, and by calendar year, fiscal year, and month, for varying periods, such as 1935 to the present or 1989 to the present. Updated monthly or annually.

related briefing rooms
Agricultural baseline projections
U.S. agricultural trade
Vegetables and melons
Tomatoes
Food market structures

related links
Links to other USDA and Federal agencies concerned with potatoes.

See all related links...

for more information, contact: Charles Plummer
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: March 29, 2004