Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Import Dependency Ratio
A potato import dependency ratio quantifies reliance on imports under a stated formula and product definition. Risk teams can go beyond the national headline by examining origin concentration, routes, tariffs, currency, domestic capacity, and whether substitute supply is realistically available.
Market Data
How to read this market
A potato import dependency ratio measures the share of domestic supply or use supplied by imports under a stated formula. The object should identify the denominator, product category, period, geography, treatment of re-exports, and whether raw and processed potatoes are separated.
Use the ratio with origin concentration, routes, currency, tariffs, phytosanitary rules, domestic capacity, and seasonal availability. A low national ratio can still hide severe dependency in one seed variety, starch grade, or off-season window.
Data Module
Potato Import Dependency Ratio
ObjectShare of supply or use sourced from imports
DimensionsCountry, product, period, formula
Commercial useResilience and sourcing-risk analysis
ConcentrationOrigin, supplier, route, season
ComparisonDomestic production and capacity
WatchpointAggregate ratio can hide product-specific dependence
Analysis
Why this matters
Import dependency matters because exposure is often concentrated rather than broad. A country may be largely self-sufficient in raw potatoes yet rely on one origin for seed or a specialty processed ingredient.
Commercial risk depends on replaceability as much as the percentage itself. Multiple qualified origins and routes make a given import share less fragile than the same share concentrated in one source.
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 trade analysts, processors, importers, policymakers, and risk teams that need to measure reliance on foreign potato supply. A potato import dependency ratio compares imports with domestic supply or use under a defined formula, product category, period, and geography. MassGain helps users identify the denominator, separate raw and processed products, and account for inventory changes and re-exports before interpreting the result.
Dependency can be structural, seasonal, or product-specific. A country may grow enough raw potatoes overall but depend heavily on imported seed, frozen fries, starch, or off-season fresh supply. MassGain connects the ratio with source-country concentration, trade routes, currency, tariffs, phytosanitary rules, domestic capacity, prices, and seasonal availability. Procurement can identify vulnerable inputs, processors can evaluate alternate origins, and lenders can assess exposure to border or freight disruption. The platform also distinguishes a diversified import base from dependence on one supplier or corridor. The result is a practical resilience measure that shows not only how much a market imports, but what it imports, when it depends on imports, and how difficult the supply would be to replace.
Use Case
A food manufacturer appears only 18% import-dependent at the national level. MassGain shows the specific starch grade it buys is 75% imported and concentrated in one origin. The company qualifies a second country and increases contract coverage for the vulnerable ingredient.
FAQs
What does a potato import dependency ratio measure?
It measures the share of domestic supply or use supplied by imports under a stated formula.
Why can the national ratio hide risk?
A specialized product, season, origin, or trade route may be far more import-dependent than the aggregate market.
How does MassGain assess dependency quality?
It examines product mix, source concentration, seasonality, routes, policy, prices, capacity, and substitute supply.
Put this market intelligence to work
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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.