Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Free Buy Purchase Volume
Potato free buy purchase volume measures completed open-market tonnes outside committed contracts. MassGain connects eligible spot purchases with buyer concentration, specification, delivery timing, offers, remaining supply, and price so procurement teams can judge true market depth.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato free-buy-purchase-volume data records completed open-market purchases outside pre-existing contracts by region, buyer, seller, variety, grade, quality, delivery period, volume, and basis. The market object is eligible spot tonnes.
Use the data to measure how much open-market supply is clearing, which specifications are active, buyer concentration, and how quickly available volume is being absorbed while excluding contract call-offs, transfers, options, and indications.
Data Module
Potato Free Buy Purchase Volume
Market objectcompleted open-market tonnes
Primary measureeligible spot volume
Key dimensionsregion, variety, buyer, delivery
Commercial usespot depth and coverage analysis
Controlscontract exclusions and duplicate trades
Compare withoffers, remaining supply, price
Analysis
Why this matters
Spot price can rise sharply on low free-buy volume when the active trades involve scarce quality or urgent timing. Low volume does not mean the price signal is false, but it does limit representativeness.
Commercial interpretation should pair volume with specification, buyer concentration, and remaining open supply.
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 and market-intelligence teams tracking potato free buy purchase volume in the open market. MassGain records completed non-contract purchases by region, buyer, seller, variety, grade, quality, delivery period, volume, unit, and commercial basis.
It separates genuine free-buy tonnes from contract call-offs, internal transfers, unexercised options, and indicative offers. Users can see how much spot volume is clearing, which specifications are active, whether purchases are concentrated among a few buyers, and how quickly available supply is being absorbed. Procurement can compare its uncovered requirement with visible market depth, analysts can measure spot-market liquidity, and finance can assess replacement exposure.
The suite also connects free-buy volume with storage withdrawals, processor coverage, crop quality, and price movement. MassGain does not claim every private purchase is observed or that reported volume equals total regional availability. It provides a transparent activity measure that shows where the open market is deep, thin, or rapidly tightening.
Use Case
Spot prices rise while reported free-buy volume remains low. MassGain shows the few trades involve scarce long potatoes for immediate delivery rather than broad regional buying. A processor covers only its exposed premium specification and avoids chasing standard potatoes.
FAQs
What counts as free-buy volume?
It includes completed open-market purchases made outside pre-existing committed contracts.
Why can low volume move price sharply?
Thin available supply and urgent specification-specific demand can create large price changes from few trades.
How does MassGain measure market depth?
It combines eligible purchased tonnes with buyer concentration, specifications, offers, and remaining availability.
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.