Michigan growers are having a difficult time wrapping up this year’s harvest. Less than 10% of the potato crop is still in the ground. Parts of Michigan have received more than 2 inches of rain during the past week. The seven-day forecast for Grand Rapids is calling for drier weather and warmer temperatures. That could give growers the window they need to finish up. Wisconsin growers are nearly finished digging. Red River Valley growers are close to wrapping up their harvest season.
The Canadian potato harvest is nearly complete. Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the only province with a substantial volume of potatoes left to harvest. Production is forecast to drop by 1.4 million cwt in Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s largest chip potato producers. At least part of the reduction in both provinces will be for chip potatoes. Supplies in Ontario and Quebec could be tight this year. Growers in PEI and New Brunswick also produce substantial quantities of chip potatoes. Reports suggest that yields on round white potatoes in those provinces have been strong. Chip potato production in the Maritime provinces should be adequate. Alberta’s chip potato yields have improved, relative to last year’s crop.
U.S. packers shipped 1.428 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Oct. 15. That is down from 1.598 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 17,100 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Oct. 15. according to a USDA report. That is down from 69,700 cwt during the same week in 2021. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 92.4% russets, 4.7% yellow potatoes and 2.9% red potatoes. USDA reports are sometimes revised after initial release.
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 $21-$30 per 50-pound box, unchanged from a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $26.08 per cwt. That is down from $27.94 per cwt a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound 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.