Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato First Handler Transaction Data
Potato first handler transaction data captures the first defined commercial exchange after the grower stage. Use it to bridge farm value with later markets while separating commodity price from packing, storage, commission, freight, and other included services.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato first-handler-transaction data records the first defined commercial exchange after the grower stage, involving an entity that may receive, pack, process, store, market, or resell potatoes. The market object is the first-handler deal by handler role, origin, product, grade, package, volume, date, payment basis, and included services.
Use the data to bridge grower value with shipping-point, processor, wholesale, or delivered markets and to separate commodity value from packing, storage, commission, freight, and other services where the source allows. Document handler role carefully when one company performs several functions.
Data Module
Potato First Handler Transaction Data
Market objectfirst-handler potato transaction
Primary measuretransaction value and volume
Key dimensionshandler, origin, product, services
Commercial usefarm-to-market price analysis
Basis factorshandling, storage, freight, commission
Compare withfarmgate, shipping-point, processor prices
Analysis
Why this matters
First-handler spreads are not pure margin when the handler also grades, packs, stores, finances, or transports product. Mixing transaction stages can therefore exaggerate the apparent markup between grower and downstream buyer.
Commercial interpretation should define the handler's role and included services before comparing prices. Once those components are separated, the residual difference is more useful for studying price transmission and commercial value added.
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 procurement teams, growers, processors, economists, and market analysts that need potato first-handler transaction data. A first handler is the initial commercial entity that receives, packs, processes, stores, markets, or resells potatoes after the grower stage. Transaction data at this point can illuminate the bridge between farm value and downstream market prices.
MassGain organizes records by handler type, origin, product, grade, package, volume, transaction date, payment basis, and included services. Users can compare first-handler values with grower settlements, shipping-point prices, processor purchases, and delivered wholesale markets. Procurement can identify where handling, grading, storage, or logistics premiums emerge. Growers can evaluate net realization. Analysts can study price transmission and concentration without mixing unlike transaction stages.
The category requires precise definitions because some handlers also grow, broker, pack, or process product. MassGain records the market role for each observation and separates commodity value from commissions, freight, packing, or storage when the data allows. It does not disclose confidential counterparties or claim universal coverage. It provides a structured transaction-stage view that helps users understand how potatoes move from production into commercial distribution and where price differences are created.
Use Case
A lender reviews a packing company whose purchase costs appear high relative to farmgate reports. MassGain shows the first-handler transactions include grading, storage, and grower freight reimbursements. After separating those services, the company’s raw-potato cost aligns with the regional market and the credit model is corrected.
FAQs
Who is a potato first handler?
It is the first commercial entity that receives or markets potatoes after production under the applicable market definition.
What can first-handler transaction data include?
It may include product value, grade, volume, handling, packing, storage, freight, commission, and payment terms.
How does MassGain make the data useful?
It defines the transaction stage and compares it with grower, shipping-point, processor, and delivered markets.
Put this market intelligence to work
Get historical data, regional detail, benchmarks, alerts, exports, and API access tailored to your procurement
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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.