The chip potato market is quiet ahead of the transition from Florida to North Carolina. Florida’s chip potato shipments have ramped up during the past two to three weeks. Growers are moving potatoes quickly due to hot, wet weather. Prices have been good for open market chip potatoes.
North Carolina growers plan to begin digging potatoes next week. The Missouri harvest is expected to get underway by mid-June.
Michigan’s 2023 potato crop is in excellent condition, despite hot, dry weather. Some observers indicate that the crop looks as good as it ever has for this time of year. Rows are closed for potato crops in southern Michigan, while potatoes in central Michigan are up about 6 inches. Growers are working to get irrigation systems up and running.
U.S. packers shipped 1.556 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending May 27. That is up from 1.505 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan’s reported shipments totaled 53,200 cwt during the week ending May 27. That is up from 20,200 cwt during the same week in 2022. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 74.2% russets, 16.1% round white potatoes, and 9.7% yellow potatoes.
The USDA has stopped reporting prices for Michigan, as the state’s shipping season winds down. Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for mostly $15-$16 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $30-$34 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $40.11 per cwt. That is up from $39.95 per cwt a week ago.
Florida packers are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow new-crop potatoes for mostly $26.95 per box, unchanged from last week. They are selling yellow creamers in 50-pound cartons for $45.95 per box, also unchanged.
– Report by North American Potato Market News