Market Report October 25, 2023

U.S. chip potato shipments, season-to-date (Aug. 1 through Oct. 21), exceeded last year’s pace by 1.5%. At 11.96 million cwt, that is 173,000 cwt more than the industry shipped a year earlier. Strong shipments from the Mid-Central region (+495,000 cwt), the Southwest region (+257,000 cwt), Maine (+213,000 cwt), the Midwest region (+96,000 cwt), and the West Coast region (+74,000 cwt), and were the largest factors in the increase. Michigan shipped 2.13 million cwt of chip potatoes during that timeframe, which is 400,000 cwt, or 15.8%, less than year-earlier movement. Reported chip potato shipments from Wisconsin (-256,000 cwt), the Rocky Mountain Region (-210,000 cwt), and the Red River Valley (-150,000 cwt) also fell short of year-earlier movement.

U.S. packers shipped 1.622 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Oct. 21. That is up from 1.537 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 48,325 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Oct. 21. That is down from 75,200 cwt during the same week in 2022. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 98.1% russets and 1.9% round white potatoes.

Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for mostly $12 per 50-pound bale, down from $12-$13 per 50-pound bale last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $12.50-$15 per 50-pound box, down from $14-$15.50 per 50-pound box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $17.53 per cwt, down from $18.09 per cwt last week.

Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16 per bale, down from $16-$16.50 per bale a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16 per 50-pound box, down from $16-$16.50 per 50-pound box last week.

– Report by North American Potato Market News