Chip potato markets are quiet. Supplies are plentiful. Chip companies are running almost exclusively on contract potatoes. There is very little demand for open-market potatoes.
U.S. chip potato movement during December totaled 5.22 million cwt. That is 252,000 cwt more than the industry shipped a year earlier, a 5.1% increase. At 1.02 million cwt, Michigan’s December shipments fell 24.0% short of 2022 movement. Wisconsin shipped 954,000 cwt during the month, 1.2% more than it shipped a year earlier. Shipments from the West Coast region and the Rocky Mountain region increased by 27.6% and 27.0%, respectively. Reported chip potato movement from the Red River Valley jumped by 50.5%, while shipments from the Mid-Central region increased by 24.6%.
U.S. packers shipped 7.39 million cwt of fresh potatoes during December. That is 557,000 cwt more than they shipped a year earlier, an 8.2% increase. Fresh potato shipments during December were the largest since 2018. This year’s largest shipping increases came from Idaho, Michigan, the Red River Valley, and Kern County. They were partially offset by slower movement from the San Luis Valley and Texas. Russet (+7.2%), yellow (+16.6%), and red potato (+3.3%) movement increased, relative to December 2022.
U.S. packers shipped 1.184 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Dec. 30, 2023. That is up from 1.141 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 48,672 cwt of potatoes during the week ending Dec. 30, 2023. That is down from 41,411 cwt during the same week in 2022. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 86.2% russets, 8.8% yellow potatoes, 4.6% round white potatoes, and 0.4% Red potatoes.
The USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A russets in 10-pound bags for $10-14.75 per 50-pound bale, down from $11.50-14.75 per 50-pound bale last week. They are selling size A russets in 5-pound bags for $11-15.75 per 50-pound bale, down from $12.50-15.75 per 50-pound bale a week ago. 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, down from $11-13 per 50-pound box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $15.73 per cwt, unchanged from last week.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $17 per bale, up from $16 per bale a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $17 per 50-pound box, up from $16 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, down from $22 per cwt a week ago. They are selling yellow creamers in 50-pound cartons for mostly $30 per 50-pound box, unchanged from last week.
– Report by North American Potato Market News