Potato production was down in the U.S. last year but sweet potato production was up.

About 397 million cwt. of potatoes were produced, 8 per cent fewer than the year before, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report.

At 395 cwt. per acre, potato yields were down 19 cwt. from the record set in 2009, according to the January 12 Crop Production 2010 Summary from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Sweet potato production jumped 22 per cent to 23.8 million cwt., according to the report. At 204 cwt. per acre, yields set a record last year.