Oregon shows stability in potato acreage, but fresh shipments show variability

Oregon potato acreage stayed in a range from 42,000 to 45,000 acres from 2019 through 2021, according to USDA estimates.

Harvested acreage in 2021 was 44,800, down slightly from 45,000 acres in 2020 but up from 42,000 acres in 2019, the USDA said.

The USDA’s estimate of Oregon potato production in 2021 was 26.4 million cwt, down slightly from 27 million cwt in 2020 but up from 25.3 million cwt in 2019.

Fresh shipments show quite a bit more variability.

The USDA reports fresh truck shipments of Oregon potatoes were 773,000 cwt in 2021, down from 1.29 million cwt in 2020 and well off from 1.38 million cwt in 2019.

Meanwhile, Oregon fresh potato export shipments totaled 218,000 cwt in 2021,  down from 307,000 cwt in 2020 and off from 337,000 cwt in 2019.

Oregon’s organic potato shipments in 2021 were 22,000 cwt, down from 41,000 cwt in 2020 and off from 62,000 cwt in 2019.

Price is one data point that has increased significantly during the 2021-22 marketing season.

On June 25 this year, the average fob price for Washington/Oregon fresh potatoes was $16.55 per carton, up from $15.10 per carton in late May and up from an average of $14.90 per carton in August last year.

Processing demand

The USDA doesn’t estimate processing utilization in Oregon alone, but processing is important for the state’s growers.

According to the USDA, processors in Idaho and Malheur County Oregon used a total of 90.7 million cwt in 2020, up 4% from 2019.

Washington and Oregon, excluding Malheur County, processors used 89.4 million cwt during 2020, down 6% from the previous year.