Market Report November 1, 2023

U.S. chip potato movement during the four weeks in October totaled 4.17 million cwt. That is 36,000 cwt less than the industry shipped during the same period a year ago. At 861,000 cwt, Michigan’s October shipments fell 183,000 cwt, or 17.5% short of 2022 movement. Wisconsin shipped 574,000 cwt during the month, 9.3% more than it shipped a year earlier. At 761,000 cwt, chip potato movement from the Mid-Central region (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) jumped by 74.3%. Reported shipments from New York rose by 7.9%, while shipments from Maine fell 12.5% short of year-earlier movement.

The next several weeks will be a busy time for government reports on 2023 potato crops and supplies. The USDA will issue its first 2023 potato crop estimate on Thursday, Nov. 9. That will be followed by a stocks report on Dec. 15. Canada’s crop production report will be out Dec. 7. It will be followed shortly by that country’s Dec. 1 potato stocks report.

U.S. packers shipped 1.773 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending October 28, 2023. That is up from 1.690 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 73,880 cwt of potatoes during the week ending October 28, 2023. That is down from 61,775 cwt during the same week in 2022. Last week’s Michigan shipments were 90.7% russets, 4.9% round white potatoes, 3.8% yellow potatoes, and 0.6% red potatoes.

Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for mostly $12 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $12.50-$15 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $17.45 per cwt, down from $17.53 per cwt last week.

Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16 per bale, unchanged from a week ago. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for mostly $16 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. Red River Valley packers are selling size A yellow potatoes in 2,000-pound tote bags for mostly $22 per cwt, unchanged from last week.  

– Report by North American Potato Market News