The chip potato harvest is ramping up across North America. Harvest is underway in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, the Red River Valley, Illinois, and Indiana. Michigan’s chip potato harvest is moving forward. The state shipped 171,000 cwt during the week ending Aug. 16 versus 213,000 cwt during the same week a year ago. Parts of Michigan received rain earlier this week. Mostly sunny and warm weather is in the 10-day forecast. Reports indicate that yields for Ontario’s early chip potatoes have been mixed, due to the cold spring and hot, dry summer growing conditions.
The U.S. exported 6.52 million cwt of potatoes and potato products (raw product equivalent) during June. That is 295,000 cwt more than year-earlier exports, a 4.7% increase. Strong fresh potato (+6.5%) and frozen product (+13.6%) exports were partially offset by a downturn in dehydrated product (-10.2%) and potato chips (-2.7%) exports. The value of June potato imports exceeded the value of exports by $52.24 million. That is the smallest June potato product trade deficit since 2022. A year ago, the value of imports exceeded the value of exports by $82.87 million.
U.S. packers shipped 1.246 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Aug. 16. That is down from 1.484 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 15.009 cwt during the week ending Aug. 16. That is down from 43,833 cwt shipped during the same week in 2024. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 91.0% russets, and 9.0% yellow potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $10-$11 per 50-pound bale. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for $17.50-$20 per 50-pound box. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $19.76 per cwt.
– This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission.