USDA annual survey seeks info from potato processors

Potato producers and agribusinesses are encouraged to respond to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service annual potato processing survey.

The results of the survey will be used to establish final USDA statistics about the 2022 potato crop processing for official processing states, according to a news release. Data collected includes the total quantity of potatoes processed as chips, frozen french fries, other frozen, starch, flour, other dehydrated potatoes, canned potatoes, and other potato products.

NASS is gathering the data for the survey online, by mail and by phone.

“The cooperation of the potato industry is crucial to ensure that each state’s potato processing data is accurately represented in national potato statistics,” King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office, said in the release.

NASS will compile and analyze the data and publish the results in its annual potatoes publication on Sept. 27. The publication will be available on the USDA-NASS website.

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state and national level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” Kevin Pautler, deputy director of the field office, said.