Canada held a record 64.03 million cwt of potatoes in storage on March 1. That is 5.82 million cwt more than the 2023 inventory, a 10.0% increase. Alberta and Manitoba held 93.7% of the extra potatoes. Stocks in the Maritime Provinces and Quebec fell below 2023 inventories. The largest percentage gain is in processing potatoes, which are up 18.6% from last year. Stocks intended for table potato sales are down 5.9%, and seed inventories are down 3.8%. Canada’s February potato disappearance totaled 10.01 million cwt. That is 138,000 cwt, or 1.4%, less than year-earlier movement.
Ontario’s February processing use exceeded the 2023 pace by 5.7%. That left the province with 2.78 million cwt of chip potatoes in storage on March 1. That is the second-largest March 1 inventory on record. It is 382,000 cwt, or 15.9%, more than the five-year average chip potato supply. At the February usage rate, Ontario’s storage chip supplies would last until August 8. Ontario usually starts to harvest its chip potato crop by the end of July. That leaves little room for imported chip potatoes. Though we do not have precise data on Quebec’s chip potato inventory, total March 1 processing stocks exceeded the five-year average inventory by 75,000 cwt, or 3.2%. Quebec’s total processing use dropped 62.4% below year-earlier movement.
U.S. packers shipped 1.612 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending March 9. That is down from 1.647 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 68,102 cwt of potatoes during the week ending March 9. That is up from 64,485 cwt shipped during the same week in 2023. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 65.3% russets, 23.8% yellow potatoes, 8.6% round white potatoes, and 2.3% 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, 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 $8-$9 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 $13.18 per cwt, unchanged from 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. Florida packers are selling size A yellow potatoes in 5-pound film bags for $21.95-$28.25 per 50-pound bale. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A Yellow new-crop potatoes for $20.95-$28.25 per box. They are selling yellow creamers in 50-pound cartons for $35.95-$40.25 per box. Florida packers are also selling size A yellow potatoes in 2,000-pound tote bags for $36.90-$38.90 per cwt.
Florida packers are selling 50-pound cartons of size A round white new-crop potatoes for $35.25-$38.95 per box.