USDA reports that growers in 11 reporting states held 262.5 million cwt of potatoes on December 1. That is 3.8 million cwt less than the year-earlier inventory, a 1.4% decline. The stocks included 12.4 million cwt of potatoes in Michigan. Michigan’s stocks were reported to be up 1.5 million cwt, or 13.8% from last year. The state’s chip potato movement has been running behind the 2020 pace, while table potato shipments are slightly ahead of last year. USDA reported a 14.4% increase in the state’s early-season disappearance, to 7.61 million cwt.
US packers shipped 1.914 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending December 18, 2021. That is down from 2.059 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 90,900 cwt of potatoes during the week ending December 18, 2021. That is up from 48,800 cwt during the same week in 2020. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 91.7% Russets, 4.2% Round White potatoes, and 4.0% Yellow potatoes.
Table potato markets remain extremely quiet. USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A Russets in 10# bags for $11.00-$11.50 per 50# bale, unchanged from a week ago. Wisconsin packers are selling size A Russet potatoes in 10# bags for mostly $8.50-$9.50 per 50# bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $16.00-$18.00 per 50# box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $22.63 per cwt, down from $22.70 per cwt last week.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5# bags of size A Yellow potatoes for mostly $17.50-$18.00 per 50# bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling 50# cartons of size A Yellow potatoes for mostly $18.00 per 50# box, also unchanged. Red River Valley packers are selling size A Yellow potatoes in 2000# tote bags for mostly $22.00 per cwt, unchanged from last week. Long Island packers are selling size A Yellow potatoes in 2000# tote bags for mostly $17.00 per cwt, unchanged from a week ago.