Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Planting Date Forecast
A potato planting date forecast estimates when fields are likely to be planted using soil condition, weather, seed delivery, water, grower capacity, and historical timing. Processors can map the resulting emergence and harvest ranges to storage coverage and plant intake, treating delays first as timing risk rather than automatic yield loss.
Market Data
How to read this market
A potato planting-date forecast estimates when fields are likely to be planted based on soil condition, weather, field access, seed delivery, water availability, grower capacity, and historical timing. The market object is a planting window by region, variety, and contracted program.
Use the forecast to estimate emergence and harvest timing, identify crop-transition risk, and map delayed or early planting to processor intake and storage coverage. Maintain a range rather than one date because field conditions and grower schedules differ within a basin.
Data Module
Potato Planting Date Forecast
Market objectexpected planting window
Primary measureplanting timing
Key dimensionsregion, variety, field condition
Driverssoil, weather, seed, water
Commercial useharvest and intake timing
Compare withstorage coverage and contracts
Analysis
Why this matters
Delayed planting can create a timing problem without creating a final-yield problem. Later favorable weather may preserve production while new-crop availability still arrives after the expected factory or market transition.
Commercial interpretation should first adjust delivery windows and bridge coverage. A full crop-shortfall assumption requires additional evidence from emergence, canopy, bulking, and yield.
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 food processors, procurement teams, grower-relations managers, and plant planners that need a potato planting date forecast. The forecast estimates when contracted and regional acreage is likely to be planted based on soil conditions, weather, field readiness, seed delivery, grower schedules, water availability, and historical timing. MassGain connects expected planting with crop development, harvest windows, plant intake, and market exposure.
Planting date matters because it influences emergence, growing-season length, maturity, harvest, storage potential, and the timing of new-crop supply. A delay can create a bridge requirement even if final yield remains normal, while unusually early planting may advance availability but expose fields to frost or other risks. MassGain builds regional ranges rather than one date and maps them to varieties, contracted acres, processor plants, and delivery periods. Procurement can plan coverage for crop transitions, operations can schedule maintenance and intake, and finance can model the cost of delayed or advanced supply. Forecast revisions use actual fieldwork and emergence evidence as the season progresses. MassGain does not direct planting decisions or replace grower reports. It provides the external weather and regional framework needed to understand how planting timing may affect factory coverage, quality, and procurement strategy.
Use Case
A processor expects new-crop intake in August, but MassGain forecasts planting delays across the basin serving one plant. The company advances maintenance, extends selected storage contracts, and secures a short alternate-region bridge rather than assuming the entire annual crop will be smaller.
FAQs
What drives a potato planting date forecast?
Soil condition, weather, field access, seed delivery, grower capacity, water, variety, and historical timing all matter.
Does delayed planting always reduce yield?
No. Later weather and crop development can allow recovery, though harvest and delivery timing may still shift.
How does MassGain support processors?
It links expected planting with contracts, harvest windows, storage coverage, plant intake, and alternate supply.
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.