WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — U.S. potato production in 2024 totaled 421 million hundredweight, a 4 percent decrease from the previous year, according to the latest Potatoes Annual Summary from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Harvested area dropped to 927,000 acres, also down 4 percent, while yields slipped to 454 hundredweight per acre, a decrease of four from 2023.
The crop’s total value in 2024 was $4.60 billion, representing an 8 percent decrease from the previous year.
Average prices fell to $11.70 per hundredweight, a decrease of $0.60 from 2023. Growers sold 390 million hundredweight, representing 93 percent of production. Sales included 269 million hundredweight to processors, 99.3 million as table stock, and 20.3 million as seed. Feed use declined sharply to 1.35 million hundredweight, a 14 percent decrease.
Shrinkage and loss declined to 26.2 million hundredweight, while growers kept 4.64 million hundredweight for on-farm use, a 20 percent drop.
Processing use reached 274 million hundredweight, a five-percent decrease from 2023, with the most significant declines in frozen products (down seven percent) and chips (down three percent). Dehydrated products held steady, while canning and other specialty uses rose.
The Surface Transportation Board rejects the proposed Norfolk Southern–Union Pacific merger, prompting concerns from agricultural shippers about rail consolidation, service reliability, and higher transportation costs.
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New Resource Makes It Easier for People to Access Data on Rural Development funded Projects in Rural Communities
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While short-term volatility remains a risk, softer ocean freight rates in 2026 could improve export margins.
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Trade volatility and shifting export destinations increase marketing risk for producers heading into 2026.
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