How to Read the USDA Potatoes Annual Summary — Production, Prices, Processing Use and Stocks
USDA NASS Potatoes 2025 Summary (September 25, 2026), U.S. 2025 crop: 418 million cwt (-1% from 2024), yield 462 cwt per acre, price $10.80 per cwt (-$0.90), sales value $4.21 billion (-9%).
Key figures (Potatoes 2025 Summary, September 2026)
As of 2 November 2026, 00:42 KST; most recently published report: Potatoes 2025 Summary from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), with 2025 crop acreage, yield, production, disposition, price, value and processing use for 13 states and the United States. The publication listing and the NASS release-day page show September 25, 2026; the sources used give no time of day, and the publication page showed no next date when checked. Primary source: https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/796078/pots0926.txt[1][2][3]
| Indicator (United States) | Previous (2024 crop, as printed in the 2025 summary) | Current (2025 crop) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago: same as previous for an annual series | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production (1,000 cwt) | 421,172 | 417,594 | down 1% (published); -0.8% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Area harvested (1,000 acres) | 927.0 | 903.2 | down 3% (published); -2.6% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Yield (cwt per acre) | 454 | 462 | +8 cwt (published) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record |
| Average price received (dollars per cwt) | 11.70 | 10.80 | -$0.90 (published) | same comparison | levels and published change: USDA NASS primary statistical record |
| Value of sales (1,000 dollars) | 4,602,026 | 4,208,241 | down 9% (published); -8.6% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Potatoes used for processing, United States (1,000 cwt) | 273,772 | 286,143 | up 5% (published); +4.5% (calculated) | same comparison | levels and published changes: USDA NASS primary statistical record; calculated %: this page's calculation |
| Frozen french fries (1,000 cwt) | 150,480 | 159,727 | +6.1% (calculated) | same comparison | levels: USDA NASS primary statistical record; change: this page's calculation |
Comparison basis: levels are as published; 2024 values are those printed in the 2025 summary, which NASS says can revise the previous crop year. Published changes are whole percentages or unit differences; this page's calculated changes are rounded to one decimal. Because the series is annual, the previous and year-ago columns are the same comparison. The report, publication page and release-day page are all from USDA and count as one source.[1]
In three lines
1. The annual NASS summary covers U.S. potato acreage, yield, production, how the crop was used and sold, prices received by growers, value, processing use and storage stocks.
2. The 2025 crop was 418 million cwt, down 1% from 2024, on 903,200 harvested acres; yield was 462 cwt per acre.
3. The average price fell $0.90 to $10.80 per cwt, and the value of sales fell 9% to $4.21 billion.[1]
What the report says (in NASS's words)
"All potato production in 2025 totaled 418 million cwt, down 1 percent from the 2024 crop." "Harvested area, at 903,200 acres, was down 3 percent from 2024." "The average yield of 462 cwt per acre was up 8 cwt from the previous year." "The value of all potatoes sold in 2025, at $4.21 billion, decreased 9 percent from the previous year." "The average price, at $10.80 per cwt, was down $0.90 from 2024." "United States potatoes used for processing totaled 286 million cwt, up 5 percent from 2024." "Frozen french fries and other frozen products utilized 173 million cwt of raw potatoes, up 6 percent from 2024."[1]
What the price and crop year mean. "Price estimates represent average returns to growers for all uses and for all methods of sale." "The United States season average price is obtained by weighting State prices by quantities sold." "A crop year is associated with the calendar year in which harvest is accomplished."[1]
Where the data come from. "These estimates are based on information furnished by producers, processors, and cooperating State or Federal Agencies." "Special grower disposition surveys are conducted at the end of each season to provide additional details about the crop."[1]
Reading in pairs
Production vs sales. Of 417,594 thousand cwt produced in 2025, 388,422 thousand were sold (93.0%, this page's calculation; NASS says 93 percent); the remaining 29,172 thousand cwt comprised 2,742 thousand for seed on farms where grown, 792 thousand for household use and on-farm feed, and 25,638 thousand in shrinkage and loss.[1]
Grower sales vs processing use. Growers in the 13 states sold 267,143 thousand cwt to processors, while total U.S. processing use was 286,143 thousand cwt; the two tables measure different things (grower sales to processors versus quantities used in processing), and, in this page's reading, the report does not reconcile them.[1]
States vs U.S. Idaho produced 139,953 thousand cwt, 33.5% of the U.S. total (this page's calculation), and Washington 91,035, down from 98,890; in this report, no explanation of state changes is provided.[1]
Stocks. The stocks table defines stocks as the quantity remaining in storage for all purposes, whether sold or not, including seed potatoes not yet moved and later shrinkage and losses. In the report's stocks table, the United States totals were 273,800 thousand cwt on December 1, 2025, and 55,400 thousand cwt on June 1, 2026; the table also includes an Other States row.[1]
Revision and error. "All estimates for the previous crop year can be revised at this time." "End-of-season estimates of production are made following harvest and are subject to revision the following year based on a thorough review of all available data." On non-sampling errors: "These errors cannot be measured directly, but they are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness." In this report, no numeric error measure is provided.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
U.S. potato production in 2025 totaled 418 million cwt, down 1 percent from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The average U.S. potato yield in 2025 was 462 cwt per acre, up 8 cwt from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The average U.S. price received for potatoes in 2025 was $10.80 per cwt, down $0.90 from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The value of U.S. potatoes sold in 2025 was $4.21 billion, down 9 percent from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. potatoes used for processing totaled 286 million cwt in 2025, up 5 percent from 2024.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
Idaho accounted for 33.5% of U.S. potato production in 2025.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the 2025 summary
U.S. frozen french fry use of potatoes rose 6.1% in 2025, to 159,727 thousand cwt.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the 2025 summary
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Why did the potato price fall in 2025?
- How large are errors in the potato estimates?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 11/02/2026, 00:46
- Body characters
- 5,980
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 11/02/2026, 00:51
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 11/02/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 11/02/2026 | First version. Read in full the USDA NASS Potatoes 2025 Summary of September 2026, including utilization, acreage and production, disposition, processing, plant, stocks, type, certified seed and price tables and the methodology, plus the publication page and the NASS Reports by Release Day page; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 11/02/2026 | Revised after review: the non-sales breakdown lists seed on farms, household use and feed, and shrinkage and loss; the stocks sentence names the United States totals and the Other States row; statements about reconciliation, state changes and error measures are marked as this page's reading or limited to this report. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How many potatoes did the United States produce in 2025?
418 million cwt (417,594 thousand), down 1% from 2024, according to the NASS Potatoes 2025 Summary published in September 2026.[1]
What price did U.S. potato growers receive in 2025?
$10.80 per cwt on average, down $0.90 from 2024; the price is the average return to growers for all uses and methods of sale, weighted by quantities sold.[1]
How many U.S. potatoes were used for processing in 2025?
286 million cwt, up 5% from 2024; frozen french fries and other frozen products used 173 million cwt.[1]
Which state grew the most potatoes in 2025?
Idaho, with 139,953 thousand cwt, followed by Washington (91,035) among the 13 states in the report.[1]
Does the 2025 U.S. potato report give a sampling error?
No: in the 2025 summary, no numeric error measure is provided, and NASS says non-sampling errors cannot be measured directly.[1]
Could the 2025 U.S. potato figures be revised?
Yes: the 2025 end-of-season estimates are subject to revision the following year after a review of all available data.[1]