U.S. chip potato movement during October totaled 5.25 million cwt. That is 76,000 cwt more than the industry shipped a year earlier, a 1.5% increase. At 1.29 million cwt, Michigan’s October shipments fell 3.6% short of 2022 movement. Wisconsin shipped 683,000 cwt during the month, 14.8% less that it shipped a year earlier. Chip potato movement from the Mid-Central region (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) increased by 10.9%, while reported shipments from New York dropped 19.3%.
Season-to-date (Aug.1 through Oct. 29) U.S. chip potato movement nearly matches last year’s pace, at 12.83 million cwt. Michigan shipped 2.84 million cwt of chip potatoes during that timeframe, which is 1.3% less than year-earlier movement. Season-to-date chip potato movement from Wisconsin exceeded year-earlier movement by 14.1%.
The next several weeks will be a busy time for government reports on 2022 potato crops and supplies. USDA will issue its first 2022 potato crop estimate Nov. 9. That will be followed by a stocks report on Dec. 16. Canada’s crop production report will be out Dec. 7. It will be followed shortly by that country’s Dec. 1 potato stocks report.
U.S. packers shipped 1.730 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Oct. 29. That is down from 1.841 million cwt shipped a year earlier. USDA-AMS did not report any Michigan table potato shipments during the week ending Oct. 29, 2022. It will probably make a revision within the next few days. Michigan packers shipped 71,900 cwt during the same week in 2021.
Russets
USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for $15-$17 per 50-pound bale, down from $17-$18 per 50-pound bale last week. They are also selling size A russets in 5# bags for $15.00-$16.00 per 50# bale, down from $17-$18 per 50-pound bale a week ago. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for mostly $14-$15 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $21-$30 per 50-poound box, unchanged from a week ago.
The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $31.48 per cwt. That is up from $27.30 per cwt a week ago.
Yellows
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16-$1 per bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16-$19 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. Red River Valley packers are selling size A yellow potatoes in 2,000-pound tote bags for mostly $23-$26 per cwt, unchanged from last week.