Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Acreage Satellite Estimate
A potato acreage satellite estimate maps likely planted area before complete official reporting using imagery, field boundaries, classification, and ground reference. Growers and processors can compare the estimate with seed movement, grower reports, contracts, and end-use assumptions before translating acres into supply.
Market Data
How to read this market
A potato acreage satellite estimate uses imagery, crop classification, field boundaries, seasonal signatures, and ground-reference data to estimate planted potato area before complete official reporting. The market object is mapped likely potato acreage with a confidence range by region.
Use the estimate to test planting assumptions, compare basins, and translate acreage into production scenarios using variety, end use, yield, and contract information. Preserve classification uncertainty because crop confusion, cloud cover, field size, and timing can affect mapped area.
Data Module
Potato Acreage Satellite Estimate
Market objectmapped planted area
Primary measureestimated potato acreage
Key dimensionsregion, imagery date, confidence
Methodcrop classification and field boundaries
Commercial useearly supply estimation
Compare withgrower reports, seed movement, official data
Analysis
Why this matters
Satellite acreage matters because official or survey expectations can lag actual planting, but the estimate is not equivalent to processing-ready supply. Expansion in fresh-market acreage may not help a fry plant that needs specific varieties and contracted districts.
Commercial interpretation should first validate the classification, then translate area through yield and end-use assumptions. An acreage surprise only matters to a buyer if it overlaps the relevant supply chain.
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 16, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato market steady for now; Russia’s smaller crop is the salient risk
Spot prices are flat and USDA terminal reports read ‘market steady,’ but a renewed forecast for a smaller Russian harvest and recent regional harvest stress leave seasonal import timing and storage losses as the key uncertainty.
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 page is for growers, processors, lenders, and market analysts that need a satellite-based estimate of potato acreage before complete official or field-reported data is available. Satellite acreage estimation uses imagery, crop classification, field boundaries, planting calendars, and ground-reference data to identify likely potato area across a region. MassGain connects the estimate with historical acreage, crop-use patterns, processor contracts, seed availability, yield assumptions, and market exposure.
The estimate is most useful when its uncertainty is explicit. Potato fields can be confused with other crops, cloud cover can limit observations, and classification performance may differ by region, field size, rotation, or growth stage. MassGain preserves methodology, imagery dates, confidence, and revision history and compares the satellite result with surveys, grower reports, and later crop development. Users can identify where official expectations and observed planting appear to diverge and investigate the regions with the greatest commercial significance.
Acreage alone does not determine supply. MassGain helps translate the mapped area into production scenarios by adding yield, variety, end use, quality, and contracted-demand assumptions. Growers and processors gain earlier evidence for planting and coverage decisions, while lenders can evaluate regional concentration without treating an early model output as a final official statistic.
Use Case
Satellite classification suggests processing-potato acreage is 6% below early intentions in one basin. MassGain compares the estimate with seed deliveries, grower contracts, field reports, and historical classification error. The processor keeps the result as a downside scenario and seeks confirmation before adding supplemental contracts.
FAQs
How is potato acreage estimated from satellites?
Imagery, crop classification, field boundaries, seasonal patterns, and ground-reference data are combined.
What limits satellite acreage estimates?
Clouds, crop confusion, field size, timing, rotation, model error, and incomplete ground data can affect accuracy.
How does MassGain use the estimate?
It connects acreage with yield, variety, contracts, demand, and regional supply scenarios.
Put this market intelligence to work
Get historical data, regional detail, benchmarks, alerts, exports, and API access tailored to your procurement
and market-analysis needs.
Data and Methodology
Professional market-data standards
MassGain is building transparent public market infrastructure. Each live metric will identify its date, unit, coverage, methodology, and source basis.
Data provenance
MassGain uses public, licensed, contributed, and independently derived physical-market information. Source availability and publication schedules vary.
Timing and revisions
Figures may reflect the latest available observation rather than a same-day transaction. Source data and MassGain calculations may be corrected, restated, or revised.
Not transactional pricing
MassGain figures are informational reference values and do not constitute executable bids, offers, settlements, or guarantees that a transaction can occur at the displayed value.
No individualized advice
Content and data are provided for informational and analytical purposes and do not constitute financial, investment, legal, trading, or individualized procurement advice.
Independent publication
Certain observations may be derived from USDA reports. MassGain is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USDA.
Commercial use and licensing
Public display does not grant rights to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or incorporate MassGain indices or references into commercial products or contracts without authorization.