Reported U.S. chip potato movement during the four weeks in November totaled 4.01 million cwt. That is 310,000 cwt less than the industry shipped a year earlier, a 7.2% decline. At 735,000 cwt, Michigan’s reported November shipments fell 21.4% short of 2023 movement. Wisconsin shipped 832,000 cwt during the month, 14.5% more than year-earlier shipments. Chip potato movement from the Mid-Central region (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) increased by 15.7%. Reported shipments from New York nearly matched last year’s pace, while Maine’s chip potato movement fell by 16.2%, relative to the previous year.
Season-to-date (Aug. 1 through Nov. 30) US chip potato movement is running 7.2% behind last year’s pace, at 17.18 million cwt. Michigan has shipped 2.93 million cwt of chip potatoes during that timeframe, which is 17.7% less than year-earlier movement. On the other hand, season-to-date chip potato movement from Wisconsin is running 13.6% ahead of year-earlier movement.
U.S. packers shipped 1.172 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Nov. 30. That is down from 1.573 million cwt shipped a year earlier. USDA has not yet reported Michigan’s table potato shipments during the week ending Nov. 30. The state shipped 57,795 cwt during the same week in 2023.
Prices have been relatively steady for the past four weeks. The USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for $10-$11 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling size A russets in 5-pound bags for $11-$12 per 50-pound bale, also unchanged. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $9-$10 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $13-$15 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $16.91 per cwt, unchanged from last week.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $14-$16 per bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $14-$16 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. Red River Valley packers are selling size A yellow potatoes in 2,000-pound tote bags for mostly $18-$20 per cwt, unchanged from a week ago.
Report by North American Potato Market News