North American Potato Market News (NAMPN) expects U.S growers to produce 394.6 million cwt of potatoes in 2026. The projection is based on crop conditions in early September. The forecast is 18.3 million cwt, or 4.4%, below USDA’s current estimate for the 2025 crop. (USDA will issue revised final data for the 2025 crop on Sept. 25). If realized, the 2026 potato crop would fall 5.5% below the five-year average production. It would be the smallest U.S. potato crop since 2010.
NAPMN expects Michigan growers to harvest 45,500 acres of potatoes this year, which is 2,000 acres less than last year’s harvested area. Our current estimate for the statewide average yield is 440 cwt per acre. That is 5 cwt per acre more than the 2025 yield. The net result is a 20.0 million cwt potato crop. That is 663,000 cwt less than the current estimate for the 2025 crop, a 3.2% reduction.
Harvest update
Michigan’s potato harvest is moving forward. Growers are expecting above average quality and yields in most growing areas. The weather was hot and humid early last week. Growers were harvesting early in the morning when temperatures were cooler. Parts of the state received over an inch of rain near the end of the week. Temperatures have since cooled down. Favorable harvest conditions are forecast during the next week.
Pricing
Russet table potato prices have remained strong as new-crop shipments have increased. The weighted average shipping point price (FWA) for Idaho Norkotahs is currently $22.49 per cwt, up $8.56 from a year earlier. At $22.09 per cwt, the Columbia Basin’s FWA is up $6.21 compared to last year. Wisconsin’s russet FWA is currently $24.35 per cwt, up $1.94 from a year ago. The San Luis Valley’s first reported prices for new-crop russets put the FWA at $24.27 per cwt, $4.67 more than the previous year.
U.S. packers shipped 1.566 million cwt of table potatoes during the week ending Sept. 5. That is up from 1.521 million cwt shipped a year earlier. Michigan packers shipped 35,287 cwt during the week ending Sept. 5. That is up from 20,225 cwt shipped during the same week in 2025. Last week’s reported Michigan shipments were 100% russets.
Wisconsin packers are selling size A russet potatoes in 10-pound bags for mostly $10 per 50-pound bale, unchanged from last week. They are selling russet 40-70 count cartons for mostly $20 per 50-pound box, down from $20-$21 per 50-pound box a week ago. The weighted average shipping point price for new-crop Idaho russet Norkotahs is $22.49 per cwt, up from $22.23 per cwt the previous week.
— This report was compiled by North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) for the Michigan Potato Industry Commission