Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Clearwater Russet Contract Prices
Clearwater Russet contract prices should be evaluated against the variety, region, and processing requirements behind a fry program rather than generic russet values. MassGain gives QSR buyers regional market context to test raw-potato claims before adding recovery, cut distribution, conversion, packaging, freight, and service costs.
Market Data
How to read this market
Clearwater Russet contract prices should be evaluated against the variety, region, and processing requirements behind a fry program rather than against generic russet prices alone. Relevant factors include acreage, yield, solids, tuber length, defects, storage performance, delivery timing, freight, processor demand, and the contract period.
MassGain provides independent regional processing-potato context for testing Clearwater Russet cost claims. QSR buyers can combine that market evidence with supplier recovery, cut distribution, conversion, packaging, and logistics data to build a transparent bridge from raw-potato contract economics to delivered fry pricing.
Data Module
Clearwater Russet contract context
VarietyClearwater Russet processing potatoes
Regionacreage, crop, and sourcing availability
Qualitysolids, length, defects, and storage condition
Deliverycontract period and freight basis
Processing valuerecovery and cut distribution
Decision usefry-price review and supplier negotiation
Analysis
Why this matters
Clearwater Russet can carry economics different from other russets because processing suitability, tuber length, recovery, and regional availability affect the finished-fry yield. A local shortage or quality issue may therefore support a variety premium even when a broad russet benchmark is relatively stable.
The analytical task is to isolate that raw-material effect from the rest of the finished-product cost chain. MassGain helps validate whether the supplier's Clearwater assumption matches observable regional conditions, while internal or supplier data explains conversion and logistics. Temporary localized pressure can then be handled with targeted surcharges or review clauses rather than automatically becoming a permanent network-wide increase.
Signal 01
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index
UCUI translates crop and market complexity into a simple uncertainty signal. Higher readings indicate greater uncertainty—not necessarily higher prices.
Understand uncertainty. Anticipate risk. Act earlier.
UCUI is designed to analyze potato-industry publications and data signals across regions, varieties, weather, disease, storage, supply, and demand.
WeatherHigh
DiseaseHigh
StorageMedium
SupplyMedium
Single-day snapshot based on a scan of 11,500+ web and social signals. Get historical and real-time data by clicking the button below.
The MassGain Daily
Today’s market analysis.
A daily editorial synthesis of physical potato data, crop signals, market reporting, and what participants should watch next.
September 10, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato prices quiet at $30/cwt as regional harvest damage buzzes beneath the surface
Market indicators are stable, but reporting from Europe and select growing areas shows real, localized crop stress — a reminder that steady headline prices can mask uneven physical risk.
Signal 02
MassGain Potato Index
Independent physical-pricing intelligence and market-trend analysis for procurement, forecasting, contracting, and scenario planning.
Core Russet Carton Median
312.45 USD/MT
Latest qualifying physical-market observation
+4.75 (+1.55%)
Price discovery for the physical potato market
MPI is designed to track physical pricing data, price trends, deltas, and divergences across regions and potato types.
Series window45 days
Current public coverageCore russet cartons
Primary source basisQualifying USDA physical rows
UnitUSD per metric tonne
Single-day snapshot based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varieties by clicking the button below.
Signal 03
MassGain Spot Reference
An independent spot reference designed for price discovery, contract discussions, procurement comparisons, and risk modeling.
Russet Burbank — U.S. Midsize
305 USD/MT
Demonstration reference format
+1.6% WoW · Confidence: High
A trusted benchmark for pricing, contracts, and risk
MSR is intended to use real transactions and verifiable physical-market data to support negotiations, price checks, contracting, and risk models.
ProductRusset Burbank
SpecificationU.S. midsize, 40–70 count
Reference typePhysical spot benchmark
StatusIn development
Based on most recent 45 days worth of data. Limited to US Russets only. Get more complete, global data about all varities by clicking the button below. Full access also includes historical data -- including depreciated NYMEX/CBOE/EEX spot references -- projections, trends, and AI-driven insights.
The MassGain Product Ladder
From insight to intelligence to action
Four integrated products built for the physical potato market, delivered through public pages, reports, exports, dashboards, and API access.
1
Content
Original research, commentary, aggregated news, and market updates.
- What matters right now?
- What is happening out there?
2
UCUI™
Usable Crop Uncertainty Index: an AI-powered signal of crop risk and market uncertainty.
- Understand uncertainty
- Anticipate risk
- Act earlier
3
MPI™
MassGain Potato Index: independent physical-pricing intelligence and trend analysis.
- Price discovery
- Regional trends
- Procurement planning
4
MSR™
MassGain Spot Reference: an independent benchmark for price discovery and risk modeling.
- Contracts
- Negotiations
- Risk models
Content + UCUI + MPI + MSR + API access
Get historical series, regional detail, constituent data, exports, alerts, and direct data access.
Overview
Who is this for?
This is for QSR and restaurant procurement teams reviewing contract prices linked to Clearwater Russet potatoes in french-fry and other long-processing-potato programs. Clearwater Russet supply may be negotiated within a broader russet market, but the relevant contract economics depend on the exact growing region, acreage, yield, solids, length profile, defect tolerances, storage behavior, delivery window, freight, and processor requirements. MassGain’s potato data suite helps buyers benchmark those external market conditions rather than accepting a finished-product price explanation that treats every russet contract as equivalent.
The suite connects historical regional prices with crop development, expected availability, storage risk, and contract-market signals. Procurement can combine that evidence with supplier-specific information on recovery, cut distribution, line efficiency, oil usage, packaging, and transportation. This creates a defensible bridge between the raw Clearwater Russet contract and the delivered cost of fries served in restaurants. It also clarifies whether a premium is associated with scarce suitable supply, a temporary regional disruption, or a separate manufacturing expense.
This intelligence supports annual negotiations, index design, supplier scorecards, menu-margin forecasts, and dual-sourcing decisions. A buyer can test base, tight, and recovery scenarios and establish objective triggers for reopening price discussions. MassGain does not disclose confidential grower contracts or promise a particular finished-product yield. It provides independent physical-market evidence so restaurant procurement teams can evaluate Clearwater Russet cost claims, compare alternatives consistently, and preserve supply reliability without paying an unsupported scarcity premium.
Use Case
A QSR chain’s fry supplier requests an immediate surcharge after reporting tighter Clearwater Russet availability in its primary region. MassGain confirms localized crop and storage pressure but also shows improving suitable supply in a secondary origin. Procurement models the supplier’s current sourcing mix, freight difference, and expected recovery, then agrees to a temporary surcharge only on the exposed volume. The amendment includes a sunset date and a benchmark trigger that reduces the surcharge as secondary-region supply enters the system.
FAQs
What influences Clearwater Russet contract prices?
Regional acreage, yield, solids, tuber length, defects, storage condition, freight, delivery timing, processor demand, and contract terms can affect value.
Why might Clearwater Russet carry a different price from other russets?
Variety-specific processing suitability, availability, quality specifications, and recovery expectations can create a separate commercial premium or discount.
How can MassGain support a QSR fry-price review?
It benchmarks the claimed raw-potato movement and supply risk so buyers can distinguish justified commodity pressure from unrelated conversion costs.
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Data and Methodology
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MassGain uses public, licensed, contributed, and independently derived physical-market information. Source availability and publication schedules vary.
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Figures may reflect the latest available observation rather than a same-day transaction. Source data and MassGain calculations may be corrected, restated, or revised.
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Certain observations may be derived from USDA reports. MassGain is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USDA.
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