Reported U.S. chip potato movement totaled 4.170 million cwt during the five weeks in October. That is 647,000 cwt, or 13.4%, less than the industry shipped during the same five-week period a year ago. At 838,000 cwt, Michigan’s shipments fell 117,000 cwt, or 12.2%, short of 2024 movement. Wisconsin shipped 798,000 cwt during the month, 12.7% less than it shipped a year earlier. Shipments from the West Coast region totaled 550,000 cwt, down 9.0%. At 372,000 cwt, chip potato movement from the Midcentral region and the Southwest region dropped by 27.0% and 59.7%, respectively. Chip potato movement from the Rocky Mountain region was nearly flat at 393,000 cwt. On the other hand, chip potato shipments from New York increased by 17.6%, to 314,000 cwt. At 256,000 cwt, shipments from Maine exceeded year-earlier movement by 4.3%. The Red River Valley shipped 163,000 cwt during the period, 30.0% less than the previous year. Season-to-date (August-October) reported chip potato shipments are running 7.4% behind the 2024 pace.
The next several weeks are usually a busy time for government reports on potato crops and supplies. However, reports will likely be delayed this year, due to the federal government shutdown. USDA was scheduled to issue its first 2025 potato crop estimate on Monday. If USDA is up and running, we should receive a stocks report Dec. 17. Canada’s crop production report is usually available during the first week of December. It will be followed shortly by that country’s Dec. 1 potato stocks report.
U.S. packers shipped 1.708 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Nov. 1. That is down from 1.748 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 30,800 cwt during the week ending Nov. 1. That is down from 65,253 cwt shipped during the same week in 2024. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 83.9% russets, 10.2% yellow potatoes, and 5.8% red potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $7-$8 per 50-pound bale, down from $7-$8.50 per 50-pound bale last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for $12-$13 per 50-pound box, unchanged from a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $10.54 per cwt, unchanged from the previous week.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A yellow potatoes for $14-$17 per bale, unchanged from last week. They are also selling 50-pound cartons of size A yellow potatoes for $14-$17 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size B yellow potatoes for mostly $11 per 50-pound box, unchanged from a week ago.
Wisconsin packers are selling 10/5-pound bales of size A red potatoes for $13-$14 per bale, unchanged from last week. They are also selling 50-pound cartons of size A red potatoes for $11-$13.50 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. They are selling 50-pound cartons of size B red potatoes for mostly $15-$16 per 50-pound box, unchanged from a week ago.
– This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission.