The chip potato harvest is moving forward. Growers report that Michigan’s chip potato yields are down from last year. The late-summer heat took a toll on both yields and quality. Growers in Central Michigan are planning to start harvesting early table potatoes next week.
In Maine, early chip potato yields and quality are above average. Early movement has been good.
Reported U.S. chip potato shipments during the five weeks in August fell 10.2% short of 2024 movement. At 4.284 million cwt, that is 487,000 cwt less than the industry shipped during the same five-week period a year earlier. Reduced shipments from the Midwest region (-279,000 cwt), and the Southwest region (-236,000 cwt) were the largest factors in the decline. The West Coast region (-145,000 cwt), Michigan (-167,000 cwt), Maine (-80,000 cwt), and New York (-45,000 cwt) also reported slower movement during August. Reported August chip potato shipments from Wisconsin (+294,000 cwt), the Mid-Central region (+71,000 cwt), the Rocky Mountain region (+52,000 cwt), Pennsylvania (+24,000 cwt), Virginia (+13,000 cwt), and the Red River Valley (+12,000 cwt) exceeded year-earlier movement. Season-to-date, total reported new-crop chip potato shipments are running 19.7% behind the 2024 pace.
U.S. packers shipped 1.401 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Aug. 30. That is down from 1.410 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 33,321 cwt during the week ending Aug. 30. That is down from 38,746 cwt shipped during the same week in 2024. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 95.3% russets, and 4.7% yellow potatoes.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for $10-$11 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for $18 per 50-pound box, also unchanged. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho Russet Norkotahs is $14.75 per cwt, down from $16.94 per cwt the previous week.
– This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission.