Chip potato deal is quiet. Still some potatoes left to harvest in Michigan. Some growers will finish this week. Others may need longer. Chip plants are running almost exclusively on contract potatoes. Growers in New York, Maine and New Brunswick will be short on contract potatoes. Michigan supply outlook is mixed. Some growers may be short, but dealers are hopeful that they can find enough potatoes to meet contract obligations.
US packers shipped 1.732 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending October 17, 2020. That is up from 1.420 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 37,917 cwt of potatoes during the week ending October 17, 2020. That is down from 59,560 cwt during the same week in 2019. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 88.7% Russets, 6.9% Red potatoes, 2.4% Yellow potatoes and 2.1% Round White potatoes.
USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A Russets in 10# bags for $12.50-$13.00 per 50# bale, unchanged from a week ago. Wisconsin packers are selling size A Russet potatoes in 10# bags for mostly $9.00-$10.00 per 50# bale unchanged from last week. They are selling 40-70 count Russet count cartons for mostly $12.00-$14.00 per 50# box, also unchanged for the week. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $15.71 per cwt. That is down from $15.73 per cwt a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5# bales of size A Yellow potatoes for mostly $18.00-$19.00 per bale, unchanged from last week.
Long Island baled 10/5# size A Round White potatoes are selling for mostly $12.00-$12.50 per 50# bale, unchanged for the week.