Chip potato markets are quiet. Plants are running almost exclusively on contract potatoes. Buyers are showing little concern about storage supplies. Contracting for the 2022 crop is moving forward slowly. Reports indicate that contract prices are up 18-20% for those that have been settled, while contract volumes are down 5-10%. Some chip potatoes are being diverted to the frozen processing sector where raw product supplies remain extremely tight.
US packers shipped 1.685 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending January 22, 2022. That is down from 1.745 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 83,500 cwt of potatoes during the week ending January 22, 2022. That is up from 82,200 cwt during the same week in 2021. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 85.3% Russets, 11.6% Yellow potatoes, and 3.1% Round White potatoes.
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 $9.00-$9.75 per 50# bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $16.00-$17.50 per 50# box, up from $16.00-$17.00 per 50# box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $22.80 per cwt, up from $22.63 per cwt last week.
Red River Valley packers are selling size A Yellow potatoes in 2000# tote bags for $22.00-$28.00 per cwt, up from $20.00-$26.00 per cwt a week ago. Long Island packers are selling size A Yellow potatoes in 2000# tote bags for mostly $17.00 per cwt, unchanged from last week.