The USDA reports that growers in the storage states held 270.3 million cwt of potatoes on Dec. 1. That is 4.0 million cwt less than those same states had in storage a year earlier, a 1.5% decline. It nearly matches the five-year average Dec. 1 potato inventory. At 141.8 million cwt, early-season disappearance from the 2025 crop fell 5.1 million cwt, or 3.5% short of the 2024 pace. Idaho was the only state to report an increase in June-November disappearance. Movement declined, relative to the previous year, in nine of the 13 reporting states as well as in “other states," including California and Texas.
At 7.4 million cwt, Michigan’s early-season disappearance fell 315,000 cwt, or 4.1%, short of last year’s pace. It left the state with 12.8 million cwt of potatoes in storage on Dec. 1. That is 100,000 cwt more than the December 2024 inventory. Slower chipstock and table potato movement are both factors in Michigan’s reduced usage. Early-season chip potato shipments are down 5.0%, while table potato movement is down 15.8% from a year ago.
Early-season chip potato movement from the storage states totaled approximately 16.5 million cwt. That is 3.2 million cwt less than year-earlier shipments, a 16.1% decline. Movement is down 16.7%, relative to the three-year average pace. NAPMN believes that chipstock supplies in the storage states are more than sufficient to carry the industry through the remainder of the processing season.
U.S. packers shipped 2.04 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Dec. 20. That is up from 1.96 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 88,391 cwt during the week ending Dec. 20. That is up from 37,794 cwt shipped during the same week in 2024. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 82.6% russets, 12.0% yellow potatoes. and 5.4% round white potatoes.
The USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for mostly $10-$11 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling size A russets in 5-pound bags for $11-$12 per 50-pound bale, also unchanged. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $7-$7.50 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for $11-$12 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $10.18 per cwt, unchanged from the previous week.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for $14-$16 per bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for $14-$15 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size B yellow potatoes for mostly $11 per 50-pound box, unchanged from last week.
– This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission.