USDA estimates that potato growers produced 417.85 million cwt of potatoes during 2024. That is 22.28 million cwt less than the 2023 crop, a 5.1% decline. Ten of the 13 reporting states posted reduced production this year. USDA made several changes to its June 28 acreage estimates for the various states. The net result was a 13,000-acre reduction in this year’s planted area, to 928,000 acres. At 923,100 acres, the official harvested area is 38,000 acres less than growers harvested from the previous year’s crop. USDA puts the 2024 national average potato yield at 453 cwt per acre, 5 cwt less than the 2023 average yield.
The USDA reduced its estimate of Michigan’s planted area by 2,000 acres, relative to the June estimate. The harvested area was set at 50,500 acres, which is 1,500 acres more than growers harvested in 2023. At 440 cwt per acre, this year’s yield estimate matches the 2023 yield. That puts Michigan’s 2024 potato crop at 22.22 million cwt, which exceeds 2023 production by 660,000 cwt, or 3.1%.
U.S. packers shipped 1.757 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Nov. 9. That is down from 2.199 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 43,340 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Nov. 9. That is down from 103,442 cwt shipped during the same week in 2023. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 85.8% russets, 10.4% round whites, 1.9% yellow potatoes, and 1.9% red potatoes.
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 $16.94 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 $19 per cwt, down from $21 per cwt a week ago.
Report by North American Potato Market News