Weekly Potato Report
April 30, 2008
Though storage chip potatoes are cleaning up in Michigan, buyers are
still able to find a few open potatoes at contract prices. Some chip companies
are buying potatoes that have been rejected by others. Frito growers will
continue to ship storage potatoes through the first week of June, to meet the
needs of some northern plants.
Florida harvest has shifted to the Hastings area. The central Florida
harvest ended 7-10 days earlier than it has in past years. Chip plants are
pulling hard on Florida contracts. There are no open potatoes shipping from
Florida at this time. Growers are concentrating on contract movement. The
industry is concerned about supplies during June. North Carolina's crop is in
good condition, and slightly ahead of normal development. On the other hand,
frost burned back Missouri potatoes for the second time, on April 29. That is
in addition to the water problems that plagued the crop earlier in the season.
Crop progress also is running behind schedule in Illinois and Indiana. Chip
plants are still struggling to place contracts for all of the potatoes they
need during the coming year.
USDA has stopped reporting Michigan Round White potato prices for the
2007 storage crop. Maine growers are selling 2 inch minimum Round Whites for
mostly $1.20-$1.30 per 10 # bag, unchanged for the week. Florida packers are
selling 2008-crop size A Round White potatoes for
mostly $15.05 per 50# carton, down from $18.05 a week ago. Florida's harvest
has shifted to the Hastings area, which produces more Round White potatoes than
the southern part of the state does.
Size A Michigan Russets are selling for mostly
$1.50-$1.60 per 10# bag, unchanged from last week. Wisconsin shippers are
receiving mostly $7.00-$7.50 per 50# bale for non Size A
Russet potatoes, unchanged from last week's price. Wisconsin prices for 60-70
count cartons are mostly $11.00 per 50# box, also unchanged for the week. The
weighted average shipping point price for Idaho Russet Burbanks
advanced to $14.29 per cwt this week, from $14.03 a week ago at this time.
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