Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Processor Purchase Benchmark
Potato processor purchase benchmark analysis compares raw-potato costs after freight, variety, quality, solids, storage, delivery timing, bonuses, deductions, and expected recovery are normalized. MassGain helps processors identify persistent unexplained supplier or plant premiums without penalizing higher-value quality.
Market Data
How to read this market
A potato processor-purchase benchmark compares raw-potato costs across plants, suppliers, contracts, regions, and periods after normalizing freight, variety, quality, solids, size, storage, delivery timing, bonuses, deductions, and expected recovery. The market object is the quality-adjusted plant purchase.
Use the data to separate base potato value from contract and logistics components and to compare cost per usable raw or finished output. Keep crop-year and contract vintages distinct from current spot purchases.
Data Module
Potato Processor Purchase Benchmark
Market objectquality-adjusted processor purchase
Primary measurenormalized usable raw cost
Key dimensionsplant, supplier, contract, region
Commercial usesupplier and plant benchmarking
Adjustmentsfreight, quality, storage, recovery
Compare withspot market and finished yield
Analysis
Why this matters
A plant can pay more per raw tonne and still achieve better economics if the potatoes deliver higher solids, stronger recovery, or a more valuable product mix. Purchase price and usable cost are not identical.
Commercial interpretation should focus on residual price differences after quality and terms are normalized. Persistent unexplained premiums are more actionable than raw average gaps.
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 that need a potato processor purchase benchmark. MassGain compares what plants pay for raw potatoes after normalizing contract structure, spot basis, freight, storage premiums, quality adjustments, solids, size, variety, delivery timing, and expected recovery.
It separates the base potato value from bonuses, deductions, transport, and later settlement changes. Procurement teams can compare suppliers and plants without penalizing a buyer that purchases higher-value quality. Finance can accrue and explain raw-cost variance, operations can connect purchase cost with factory yield, and leadership can identify whether a persistent premium is justified by specification or service.
The suite also distinguishes contract vintages and crop years so old formulas are not blended with current open-market purchases. MassGain does not reveal unauthorized confidential trades or prescribe contract terms. It provides a transparent benchmark bridge from intake price to usable raw-material value.
Use Case
Three plants report different average raw-potato costs. MassGain adjusts for freight, solids, storage, variety, quality deductions, and contract timing. Two plants are economically aligned, while the third pays an unexplained residual premium to one supplier, creating a focused negotiation target.
FAQs
What does a processor purchase benchmark compare?
It compares normalized raw-potato cost across plants, suppliers, contracts, regions, and delivery periods.
Why adjust for quality and recovery?
Higher-priced potatoes can produce more saleable output and a lower finished-unit cost.
How are contract and spot purchases separated?
MassGain preserves pricing formula, crop year, delivery window, and commercial basis for each observation.
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.