Chip potato markets are quiet. Plants are running almost exclusively on contract potatoes. Contracting for the 2024 crop is moving forward. Contract prices are down a few percentage points for those that have been settled, while storage contract volumes are mostly flat.
Quebec Potato Producers reported that the province held 879,000 cwt of chip potatoes on Jan. 1, versus 1.24 million cwt a year ago, a 29.2% decline. As we reported last week, Ontario held 3.87 million cwt of chip potatoes on Jan. 1, up 5.6% from a year ago. The combined chip potato inventory for the two provinces totaled 4.75 million cwt. That is 158,000 cwt less than year-earlier holdings, a 3.2% decline.
U.S. packers shipped 1.605 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Jan. 20. That is up from 1.402 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 73,040 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Jan. 20. That is up from 55,840 cwt shipped during the same week in 2023. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 80.0% russets, 13.8% yellow potatoes, and 6.2% round white potatoes.
The USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for $10-$14.75 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling size A russets in 5-pound bags for $11-$15.75 per 50-pound bale, also unchanged. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for mostly $9-$10 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $10-$12 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $15.31 per cwt, down from $15.34 per cwt a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $17-$17.50 per bale, up from $17 per bale a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $17-$17.50 per 50-pound box, up from $17 per 50-pound box last week. Red River Valley packers are selling size A yellow potatoes in 2,000-pound tote bags for mostly $21-$22 per cwt, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling yellow creamers in 50-pound cartons for mostly $30 per 50-pound box, also unchanged.
– Report by North American Potato Market News