Michigan’s chip potato harvest is slowly moving forward. The state shipped 38,712 cwt during the week ending Aug. 8, versus 106,011 cwt during the same week a year ago. Parts of Michigan received several inches of rain yesterday. Warm weather and more rain showers are in the 10-day forecast.
Reported U.S. chip potato movement during the five weeks in July totaled 3.98 million cwt. However, USDA-AMS has not yet reported any July chip potato shipments for Virginia. If we adjust for the missing data, U.S. chip potato shipments would total approximately 4.30 million cwt during July. That is 105,000 cwt less than the industry shipped during the same period the previous year, a 2.4% reduction. Reduced shipments from Wisconsin (-383,000 cwt), the Southwest region (-218,000 cwt), the Mid West region (-83,000 cwt), and the Red River Valley (-35,000 cwt) offset increased movement from the Mid Central region (+412,000 cwt), Florida (+128,000 cwt), North Carolina (+71,000 cwt), the Rocky Mountain region (+37,000 cwt), and the West Coast region (16,000 cwt). Reported US chip potato shipments, for the season (August 1 through July 31), totaled 46.60 million cwt. That is 3.11 million cwt, or 6.2%, less than year-earlier movement.
The U.S. exported 6.10 million cwt of potatoes and potato products (raw product equivalent) during June. That fell 272,000 cwt, or 4.3%, below year-earlier shipments. Reduced frozen (-16.0%) and dehydrated (-15.7%) product exports were partially offset by a substantial increase in fresh potato (+45.2%) shipments and a modest increase in potato chip (+2.4) sales. The value of June potato imports exceeded the value of exports by $64.83 million. A year ago, the value of imports exceeded the value of exports by $56.99 million.
U.S. packers shipped 1.403 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Aug. 8. That is down from 1.467 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 24,900 cwt during the week ending Aug. 8. That is up from 10,747 cwt shipped during the same week in 2025. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 96.4% russets and 3.6% yellow potatoes.
The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Burbanks is $16.82 per cwt, up from $16.41 per cwt the previous week.
USDA has stopped reporting prices for Wisconsin.
— This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission