U.S. chip potato movement during the five weeks in October totaled 4.50 million cwt. That is 783,000 cwt, or 14.8%, less than the industry shipped during the same five-week period a year ago. At 955,000 cwt, Michigan’s shipments fell 145,000 cwt, or 13.2%, short of 2023 movement. Wisconsin shipped 914,000 cwt during the month, 11.5% more than it shipped a year earlier. At 462,000 cwt, chip potato movement from the Mid-Central region (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) dropped by 46.4%. Reported shipments from New York fell by 23.1%, to 267,000 cwt. At 245,000 cwt, shipments from Maine exceeded year-earlier movement by 3.4%.
The next several weeks will be a busy time for government reports on 2024 potato crops and supplies. USDA will issue its first 2024 potato crop estimate on Friday. That will be followed by a stock report on Dec. 18. Canada’s crop production report will be out Dec. 5. It will be followed shortly by that country’s Dec. 1 potato stocks report.
U.S. packers shipped 1.699 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Nov. 2. That is down from 1.902 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 64,353 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Nov. 3. That is down from 69,320 cwt shipped during the same week in 2023. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 92.8% russets, 6.8% round whites, and 0.2% 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 $21 per cwt.
Report by North American Potato Market News