US potato usage down 5% on limited foodservice demand

Potato utilization was down 5% overall in the United States during the 2019-20 marketing year which runs from July to June. While retail sales were up 9%, this wasn't enough to offset a 13% loss in the foodservice sector, a 2% drop in export sales, and an increase of 7% in potato imports. The cause for the rise in retail sales and sharp losses in foodservice were COVID-related restrictions/closures of restaurants for weeks to months at a time across the US.