Chip potato movement is steady. Plants are running almost exclusively on contract potatoes. The quality of the 2022 crop is good. There has been some demand for open market chip potatoes, though there are not many available. Contract negotiations are ongoing. A few contracts have been settled with large growers. Reports indicate that growers are asking for a 20% price increase to cover rising production costs. Contact volumes are up 2%-5%.
U.S. packers shipped 1.331 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Nov. 26, 2022. That is up from 1.185 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan’s reported shipments totaled 35,800 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Nov. 26. That is down from 53,900 cwt during the same week in 2021. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 77.4% russets, 13.6% round white potatoes, 5.0% yellow potatoes, and 3.9% red potatoes.
USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for $15-$17 per 50-pound bale, up from $14-$16 per 50-pound bale last week. They are also selling size A Russets in 5-pound bags for $15-$17 per 50-pound bale, up from 14-$16 per 50-pound bale a week ago. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes 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 $26-$32 per 50-pound box, up from $26-$30 per 50-pound box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $37.05 per cwt. That is up from $36.91 per cwt a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5# bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16-$19 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.