Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Stock to Use Ratio
Potato stock to use ratio compares a defined stock measure with expected use over the same market period. MassGain segments the ratio by geography and sector and adds quality, contracts, storage, trade, and historical context so aggregate balance does not hide specification-level tightness.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato stock-to-use ratio compares a defined stock measure with expected use over the same market period. The object should make the numerator, denominator, geography, crop year, sector, and product scope explicit because ending stocks, available stocks, and total use can be defined differently across sources.
Use the ratio to compare supply cushion across seasons or regions, then segment it by processing, fresh, seed, or other relevant markets where possible. Pair the ratio with quality, contract status, storage, trade, and regional price behavior so aggregate inventory is not mistaken for accessible supply.
Data Module
Potato Stock-to-Use Monitor
Stocksdefined ending or available inventory
Usematched period demand or disappearance
Geographycountry, state, or production basin
Sectorfresh, processing, seed, or other
Contextquality, contracts, trade, storage
Decision usesupply-cushion comparison
Analysis
Why this matters
The ratio is most useful as a relative tightness indicator, not a universal price rule. A comfortable national ratio can coexist with a low processing-sector ratio in one basin, while poor storage quality can make the effective ratio tighter than the reported one. Segmenting the balance is essential before turning it into a procurement conclusion.
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 processors, growers, procurement teams, agricultural lenders, and market analysts that need to interpret the potato stock-to-use ratio. The ratio compares ending or available stocks with total expected use and provides a standardized measure of supply cushion. MassGain helps users define the numerator, denominator, geography, crop year, and product scope before treating the ratio as a market signal.
A lower ratio can indicate tighter balance and greater price sensitivity, but aggregate values may hide sector, variety, region, quality, or contract differences. A country can show comfortable total stocks while processing-grade potatoes in one basin remain scarce. MassGain connects the ratio with historical ranges, regional prices, storage quality, production, trade, disappearance, and processor demand. Procurement teams can compare coverage risk across periods, lenders can stress borrower assumptions, and analysts can distinguish broad balance from localized tightness. The result is a properly segmented supply-demand indicator that helps users understand how much buffer remains relative to use without assuming all stocks are equally accessible or all demand draws from the same market.
Use Case
The national stock-to-use ratio appears comfortable, but MassGain shows the processing-sector ratio in one major basin is near a historical low. A processor maintains late-season coverage and finance keeps a regional upside scenario instead of relying on the aggregate national balance.
FAQs
What is the potato stock-to-use ratio?
It compares defined ending or available stocks with total use over the same market period.
Does a high ratio always mean abundant supply?
No. Quality, variety, region, commitments, and sector differences can make inventory inaccessible.
How does MassGain improve the ratio?
It segments the balance and connects it with prices, storage, production, trade, demand, and historical ranges.
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.