North American spud production up

North American potato production is expected to increase 2% this season. About 513 million cwt. are set to be produced in 2015-16 in the U.S. and Canada, according to the Nov. 24 North American Potatoes report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. U.S. fall production is estimated at 409 million cwt., 1% more than 2014. Canadian growers are expected to produce about 105 million cwt., 4% more than last year. U.S. fall acreage was 946,000 acres in 2015, up from 931,100 acres in 2014 and the most since 2012, when growers planted 995,000 acres. U.S. yields, however, fell from 434 cwt. to 432 cwt. per acre. Source: The Packer