Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Contract Price Benchmark by Region
A potato contract price benchmark by region compares supplier or grower economics using the physical market most relevant to each sourcing area. MassGain organizes regional benchmarks and historical spreads so restaurant procurement can test whether a proposed adjustment matches the market behind the supplier's plant before adding conversion, freight, and service.
Market Data
How to read this market
A potato contract price benchmark by region compares supplier or grower contract economics using the physical market most relevant to each sourcing area. The regional reference should preserve variety or end use, crop period, quality, storage, delivery timing, unit, and local processor demand so a national average does not obscure the market behind a specific plant.
MassGain organizes regional benchmarks and historical spreads for more precise contract comparison. Restaurant procurement can test whether a supplier's proposed adjustment reflects the region actually supplying the finished product and then account separately for plant conversion, freight, specification, and service.
Data Module
Regional contract benchmark context
Sourcing regionmarket behind the supplier or plant
Product basisrelevant potato type and end use
Crop periodcontract and delivery season
Local conditionssupply, storage, and processor demand
Cross-region spreadcomparable alternate sourcing markets
Decision usecontract validation and geographic allocation
Analysis
Why this matters
Regional benchmarking matters because potato markets can diverge within the same crop year. Weather, yield, storage, processing demand, and freight can tighten one region while another remains balanced. A national reference can therefore overstate or understate the pressure experienced by a supplier's actual sourcing network.
The analytical discipline is to choose the commercially relevant region rather than simply the lowest benchmark. Alternate-region prices matter only if comparable potatoes can realistically reach the plant after freight, specification, and timing are considered. MassGain makes those relationships visible, helping procurement separate legitimate geographic basis from unexplained contract premium.
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 that buy potato products from suppliers operating across different growing regions and need to compare contract claims on a like-for-like basis. A potato contract price benchmark by region helps buyers understand whether an increase reflects the market serving a particular processor or is being justified with a national average that does not match the supplier’s actual footprint. MassGain’s potato data suite organizes regional benchmarks, historical spreads, crop timing, physical supply signals, and uncertainty so procurement can select the most relevant external reference.
Regional analysis matters because potato economics can diverge even within the same contract year. Weather, yield, storage quality, variety mix, processor demand, freight, and contract coverage may tighten one production area while another remains balanced. MassGain helps the buyer compare those differences without assuming that the lowest regional quote is automatically accessible or commercially equivalent. The team can then layer in plant location, product specification, delivery window, conversion yield, and logistics.
This supports supplier bids, contract renewals, allocation decisions, and finance forecasts. Procurement can identify whether a premium is geographically justified, whether alternate-region supply could reduce exposure, and whether a temporary regional event should be embedded in a full-year contract. MassGain does not reveal private grower terms or prescribe one universal adjustment; it provides a transparent regional framework for more precise negotiation and sourcing decisions.
Use Case
A national QSR receives two frozen-fry renewal bids. Supplier A cites a sharp potato increase in its primary region, while Supplier B sources from a region with stable values but higher freight. MassGain helps procurement normalize the regional potato benchmarks, plant footprints, delivery timing, and freight lanes. The analysis confirms Supplier A’s temporary premium but shows Supplier B is cheaper for western distribution centers. The chain splits volume geographically and adds a regional review clause instead of accepting one nationwide increase.
FAQs
Why benchmark potato contracts by region?
Crop conditions, storage, processor demand, varieties, freight, and contract coverage can cause meaningful regional price differences.
Can the lowest regional benchmark be used for every supplier?
No. The region must be commercially relevant to the supplier’s plants, specifications, delivery window, and feasible freight lanes.
How does regional benchmarking improve a bid comparison?
It separates legitimate geographic cost differences from unexplained premiums and supports more accurate volume allocation.
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.