Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Dry Matter Content
Potato dry matter content measures the proportion of potato weight that is solid material rather than water and is central to fries, chips, flakes, granules, and starch economics. MassGain connects dry matter with variety, region, crop and storage conditions, price, and supply so processors can compare quality premiums with the recovery and energy value they create.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato dry matter content measures the proportion of potato weight that is solid material rather than water. It is especially important for fries, chips, flakes, granules, and starch because it influences recovery, texture, frying behavior, and energy required to remove water.
Use dry-matter data with variety, region, crop conditions, storage, quality, and price. Processors can translate laboratory results into effective cost per finished unit and determine whether a high-solids premium creates enough operating value.
Data Module
Dry matter context
Measuresolids percentage or related specific gravity
Varietygenetic processing profile
Regioncrop and sourcing area
Storagecondition and age effects
Yield effectfinished output and energy use
Decision usequality premium and raw-material selection
Analysis
Why this matters
Higher dry matter often improves processing economics, but the value is product-specific. Flakes and starch can benefit from less water removal, while fry and chip lines may see better recovery and texture; excessive or inconsistent solids can still create quality challenges.
The analytical question is whether the market premium is lower than the operational value created. MassGain should connect regional scarcity with plant recovery rather than assume every high-solids lot deserves the same 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 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 processors, growers, procurement teams, quality managers, and plant controllers that need to understand potato dry matter content. Dry matter measures the solid material remaining after water is removed and is a critical economic and quality attribute for fries, chips, flakes, granules, and starch. MassGain helps users connect dry-matter levels with variety, region, crop conditions, storage, market availability, and price.
Higher dry matter can improve finished-product yield, reduce water removal, lower energy use, and support better texture or frying performance. However, the value depends on the product and plant: an excessive or inconsistent level may create other quality or processing challenges. MassGain provides market benchmarks and supply context that procurement can combine with laboratory tests, supplier history, defects, freight, and plant recovery. Growers can compare variety and field performance, processors can value quality premiums, and finance can translate dry matter into cost per finished unit rather than cost per delivered tonne. The result is a practical quality-and-economics framework that helps teams determine when a premium is justified, where high-solids supply is tightening, and how crop or storage changes may affect processing performance.
Use Case
A potato-flake processor receives a premium offer for high-dry-matter potatoes and a cheaper average-solids alternative. MassGain shows the premium is consistent with tight regional high-solids supply. Plant data confirms stronger recovery and lower drying energy, making the premium lot cheaper per finished tonne.
FAQs
What is potato dry matter content?
It is the percentage of potato weight made up of solids rather than water.
Why does dry matter affect processor cost?
It influences recovery, water removal, energy, texture, oil uptake, and finished-product yield.
How does MassGain support dry-matter decisions?
It pairs regional market and supply context with variety, quality, storage, and plant-yield data.
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.