Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Price by Grade
Potato price by grade compares values across defined quality classifications while holding origin, variety, size, package, crop period, and delivery basis as consistent as possible. MassGain links grade spreads with packout, defects, recovery, rejection, and customer requirements so premiums and discounts can be judged on usable economics.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato price by grade compares matched potato values across defined quality grades while holding origin, variety, size, package, crop period, market channel, and delivery basis as consistent as possible. The object should retain the exact grade standard and whether the quote reflects shipping point, terminal, wholesale, contract, or delivered trade.
Use grade-level prices with packout, defects, recovery, rejection, and customer requirements to determine whether a premium or discount is economically justified. A lower grade may create better usable cost in tolerant applications, while premium grade can be valuable where sorting loss or claims are expensive.
Data Module
Potato Grade Price Monitor
Gradedefined quality classification
Originmatched producing region
Productvariety, size, and package
Basismarket stage and delivery term
Contextpackout, defects, recovery
Decision usequality-adjusted sourcing
Analysis
Why this matters
Grade spreads reflect both scarcity and downstream value. A premium can widen because high-quality crop is scarce even if average potato prices are stable, while a discount can look attractive until sorting and yield loss are included. The commercial comparison should be cost per saleable or processable unit, not price per gross tonne.
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, processors, growers, packers, distributors, and analysts that need potato prices separated by grade. Grade-level benchmarking compares potatoes under defined quality classifications while holding region, variety, size, package, crop period, market channel, and delivery basis as consistent as possible.
MassGain helps users see whether a grade premium or discount reflects actual market scarcity and economic value. Higher grade may improve packout, processing recovery, shelf life, customer acceptance, or claims performance. Lower grade can still offer strong value when the discount exceeds additional sorting, waste, yield loss, or downgrade risk. The platform compares current grade spreads with historical relationships, crop quality, available volume, and the operating outcomes associated with each classification.
The analysis supports supplier bids, grower settlements, packer allocation, quality-adjusted cost models, and customer pricing. Procurement can avoid paying premium-grade prices where the application does not require them, while processors and packers can reserve scarce quality for the products and customers that benefit most. MassGain does not define official grades or inspect loads. It provides matched physical-market evidence that helps users translate grade into usable delivered economics and distinguish a durable quality premium from a temporary market imbalance.
Use Case
A packer compares U.S. No. 1 potatoes with a lower commercial grade for two customer programs. MassGain shows the lower grade’s discount more than covers added sorting for a value foodservice pack, while the premium grade remains economical for a strict retail account. The packer splits volume by end use.
FAQs
Why do potato prices differ by grade?
Grade affects quality, packout, processing recovery, shelf life, customer acceptance, and available supply.
Can a lower grade be the better value?
Yes, when its discount exceeds added sorting, waste, rejection, yield loss, and service risk.
How does MassGain compare grade prices?
It aligns region, variety, size, package, timing, channel, and delivery basis and tracks historical grade spreads.
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.