More potato data
If you remember yesterday, we started our story with a little spud traveling music. Why not try it again. I asked USDA research economist Catharine Weber about the quantity of potatoes consumed by people both in our country and world-wide.
People eat about £115 of potatoes per year, which I eat more than that. Frozen potato products accounted for about 50% of potato per capita availability on a fresh weight basis, or £58 per person. Fresh potato per capita availability represented one quarter of potato availability at £28 per person, followed by potato chips at £18 per person, dehydrated potatoes at £11, and a small quantity of canned potatoes at less than £1 per person. French fries are the top US potato export in terms of value and volume. Frozen French fry exports have totaled $967 million by value, and £1.28 billion by volume year over year. Major export destinations for US French fries include Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and South Korea. The United States was a net importer of frozen French fries during the last five marketing years, and this has continued into marketing. Year 20 2425 US fresh potato exports have grown in the past two decades, exceeding £900 million each season since 2010. Mexico ranked number one in US fresh potato export volume for the first time, accounting for over £500 million of the £1.2 billion exported during that season. This increase followed regulatory changes. The USDA announced in mid 2022 that expanded market access for US fresh potato exports to Mexico.
