Stormy weather slowed the potato harvest in parts of Michigan this week. Most growers are back in the fields now and are focused on getting the fall potato crop under cover. Chip companies are using field delivery contracts almost exclusively. Orders have picked up, but finding trucking continues to be a challenge. Potato chip sales are in their usual post-Labor Day slump. Chip potato movement is expected to increase this week in Michigan, Maine, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
US packers shipped 1.426 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending September 11, 2021. That is down from 1.845 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 12,000 cwt of potatoes during the week ending September 11, 2021. That is down from 39,900 cwt during the same week in 2020. The 2021 week included Labor Day, while the corresponding week in 2020 was a full business week. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 59.2% Russets, 39.2% Round White potatoes, and 1.7% Red potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A Russet potatoes in 10# bags for mostly $8.00-$8.50 per 50# bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $20.00-$22.00 per 50# box, down from $20.00-$24.00 per 50# box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $21.81 per cwt, up from $21.77 per cwt last week.
Delaware packers are selling 2000# tote bags of size A Round White potatoes for mostly $14.50-$16.50 per cwt, down from $16.50-$18.50 per cwt a week ago.
Big Lake and Central Minnesota packers are selling 2000# tote bags of size A Yellow potatoes for mostly $19.00-$20.00 per cwt, down from for $20.00-$26.00 per cwt last week. Delaware packers are selling 2000# tote bags of size A Yellow potatoes for mostly $32.50-$34.50 per cwt, down from $34.50 per cwt a week ago.