Cooler temperatures this week have allowed growers to start storing potatoes in central Michigan. Reports indicate that the crop is average for yields, solids, and quality. Chip potato business remains slow. US chip potato movement through August 28 is running 23.7% short of last year’s shipments during the same timeframe. Michigan’s chip potato shipments are 47.2% behind the 2020 pace. Chip potato movement is expected to increase this week in Michigan, Maine, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
US packers shipped 1.478 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending September 4, 2021. That is down from 1.479 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 9,600 cwt of potatoes during the week ending September 4, 2021. That is down from 13,237cwt during the same week in 2020. Last week’s Michigan shipments were all Russets.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A Russet potatoes in 10# bags for mostly $8.00-$8.50 per 50# bale, down from $8.00-$9.00 per 50# bale last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $20.00-$24.00 per 50# box, unchanged from a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $21.77 per cwt, down from $22.01 per cwt last week.
Delaware packers are selling 2000# tote bags of size A Round White potatoes for $16.50-$18.50 per cwt, unchanged from a week ago.
Big Lake and Central Minnesota packers are selling 2000# tote bags of size A Yellow potatoes for $20.00-$26.00 per cwt, unchanged from last week. Delaware packers are selling 2000# tote bags of size A Yellow potatoes for mostly $34.50 per cwt, also unchanged.