Chipstock movement, season-to-date through March 12, is running 4.1% behind last year’s pace. Michigan shipments are down 8.9%%, while Wisconsin shipments are running 11.0% short of the year-earlier pace. In contrast, chip potato movement from New York and Maine is up 11.9% and 12.5%, respectively. Shipments from the Red River Valley are down 17.0% from a year ago. Shipments from the West Coast region are down 20.1%, while the Rocky Mountain region reported a 2.8% increase in chip potato movement. The largest growth came from the Mid-Central region, up 31.5%, and the Southwest region, up 24.2%. Florida began shipping new-crop chip potatoes two weeks ago.
Canada reports that it had 57.06 million cwt of potatoes in storage on March 1. That is 9.70 million cwt more than the year-earlier inventory, a 20.5% increase. Current holdings exceed year-earlier levels in all provinces except Manitoba and British Columbia. However, 78.8% of this year’s increase is confined to PEI and New Brunswick. Ontario had 3.98 million cwt of potatoes left in storage on March 1. This year’s stocks exceeded the 2021 inventory by 725,000 cwt, or 22.3%. Intended use data show a 460,000 cwt increase in chip potato stocks, to 3.94 million cwt, an 18.5% increase. Quebec had 7.21 million cwt of potatoes in storage on March 1. This year’s stocks exceeded the year-earlier holdings by 1.61 million cwt, or 28.8%. Processing stocks (chip and frozen) rose by 770,000 cwt, or 35.7%. Large chip potato inventories in Ontario and Quebec should be adequate to carry the Canadian chip industry through the storage season.
US packers shipped 1.708 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending March 12, 2022. That is down from 1.836 million cwt a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 57,800 cwt of potatoes during the week ending March 12, 2022. That is down from 63,200 cwt during the same week in 2021. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 89.8% Russets, 5.9% Yellow potatoes, 2.8% Round White potatoes, and 1.6% Red potatoes.
USDA reports that Michigan packers are selling size A Russets in 10# bags for mostly $11.00-$12.00 per 50# bale, unchanged from a week ago. Wisconsin packers are selling size A Russet potatoes in 10# bags for mostly $10.00-$10.50 per 50# bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling Russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $17.00-$18.00 per 50# box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $20.95 per cwt, down from $21.24 per cwt last week.
Red River Valley packers are selling size A Yellow potatoes in 2000# tote bags for mostly $26.00-$27.00 per cwt, compared to $25.00-$28.00 per cwt last week. Florida size A Yellow potatoes are selling for mostly $25.95-$28.25 per 50# carton, unchanged from a week ago.
Maine packers are selling 2 inch minimum Round White potatoes in 10/5# film bags for $10.50-$11.00 per 50# bale, unchanged from a week ago. Florida packers are selling 50# cartons of size A Round White potatoes for $34.95-$35.25 per box, unchanged from last week.