North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) expects Canadian growers to produce 125.5 million cwt of potatoes in 2024. That is 3.3 million cwt less than the country produced during 2023, a 2.6% reduction. The forecast falls 1.1 million cwt below our August 22 projection. Growing conditions across Canada have been mixed since that time. The Prairie Provinces and British Columbia have experienced hot and dry weather. PEI and parts of New Brunswick did not receive the rain needed to finish this year’s potato crop. On the other hand, Quebec and Ontario experienced variable, but mostly favorable conditions. Combined production in those provinces is forecast to exceed the 2023 crop by 1.5 million cwt, or 6.8%. At least part of the increase will be chip potatoes. Supplies could be tight on PEI. Chip potato supplies should be sufficient for local processor demand in New Brunswick and Alberta.
The chip potato market is quiet. Warm weather is slowing down Michigan’s potato harvest. Daytime temperatures are projected to reach the mid-80s through the end of the week.
U.S. packers shipped 1.862 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Sept. 14. That is up from 1.672 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 39,847 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Sept. 14. That is up from 38,844 cwt shipped during the same week in 2023. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 98.9% russets and 1.1% round white potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $9.50-$11 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $17-$19 per 50-pound box, down from $17.50-$19 per 50-pound box last week. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $18.74 per cwt, down from $19.32 per cwt a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $13.00-$17.00 per bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $13.00-$16.50 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. Big Lake and Central Minnesota packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $12-$13 per bale, down from $15-$15.50 per bale a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $12-$13 per 50-pound box, down from $15-$15.50 per bale last week. They are selling 2,000-pound tote bags of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $18-$20 per cwt, down from $22.00-$23.00 per cwt a week ago.
Report by North American Potato Market News