The chip potato market is quiet ahead of the transition from Florida to North Carolina. Some of the remaining Florida chip potatoes have experienced heat-related problems. Reports indicate that North Carolina growers will begin digging potatoes next week. The Missouri harvest is expected to get underway by mid-June. Michigan’s old-crop potatoes are losing condition quickly. Shipments should continue for a few more weeks, but a lot of those potatoes are being dumped.
US packers shipped 1.499 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending May 28, 2022. That is down from 1.688 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 20,200 cwt of potatoes during the week ending May 28, 2022. That is down from 33,400 cwt during the same week in 2021. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 97.5% Russets and 2.5% Yellow potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A Russet potatoes in 10# bags for mostly $11.00-$12.00 per 50# bale, up from $10.50-$11.00 per 50# bale last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $19.00-$21.50 per 50# box, up from $19.00-$20.00 per 50# box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $22.69 per cwt, up from $21.81 per cwt last week.