The chip potato harvest is ramping up in several states. Harvest is underway in Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania. Michigan’s chip potato harvest is moving forward. Parts of the state received rain showers last week. Growers are monitoring crops for late blight. Reports indicate that Ontario’s chip potato crop is in good to excellent condition. Growers are pleased with the yields and quality.
The U.S. exported 6.22 million cwt of potatoes and potato products (raw product equivalent) during June. That is 498,000 cwt less than year-earlier exports, a 7.4% decline. The downturn in potato exports was across the board. Frozen product (-0.5%), fresh potato (-21.9%), dehydrated product (-8.7%), and potato chip (-6.7%) exports each fell short of the year-earlier export volume. The value of June potato imports exceeded the value of exports by $82.79 million. That is the largest June potato product trade deficit on record. A year ago, the value of imports exceeded the value of exports by $71.24 million.
U.S. packers shipped 1.418 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Aug. 17. That is up from 1.347 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 43,833 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Aug. 17. That is up from 25,844 cwt shipped during the same week in 2023. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 91.3% russets, 7.7% round white potatoes, and 1.0% yellow potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $9.50-$11 per 50-pound bale. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for $16.00-$19.00 per 50-pound box. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Burbanks is $12.64 per cwt, up from $12.30 per cwt a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of new-crop size A yellow potatoes for mostly $13-$19 per bale, down from $24-$25 per bale last week. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $13-$18.50 per 50-pound box, down from $23.50-$24 per 50-pound box a week ago.
Report by North American Potato Market News