Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Potato Supplier Quality Variance
Potato supplier quality variance shows how consistently a supplier meets specifications after product and timing differences are controlled. MassGain combines average quality, dispersion, recovery, rejection, price, and service so processors can distinguish stable premium supply from cheaper but operationally volatile deliveries.
Market Data
How to read this market
Potato supplier-quality-variance data measures both average performance and consistency after controlling for variety, region, crop year, storage age, plant, and delivery timing. The market object is supplier quality distribution rather than a single annual average.
Use the data to connect solids, defects, size, color, condition, rejection, and recovery variability with purchase price and service performance.
Data Module
Potato Supplier Quality Variance
Market objectsupplier quality consistency
Primary measuresmean, dispersion, rejection, recovery
Key dimensionssupplier, variety, crop year, plant
Commercial usesupplier allocation and review
Controlsregion, storage age, delivery timing
Compare withprice and service performance
Analysis
Why this matters
A supplier with acceptable average quality can still be expensive operationally if week-to-week volatility disrupts recovery and scheduling. Consistency has economic value.
Commercial interpretation should control for region, variety, storage age, and grading method so suppliers are not blamed for shared crop or plant effects.
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 and market-intelligence teams evaluating potato supplier quality variance. MassGain compares the consistency of supplier deliveries after controlling for variety, crop year, origin, storage age, delivery window, plant, and specification.
It measures both average quality and dispersion, because a supplier with an acceptable annual mean can still create costly operational volatility. Users can track solids, defects, size distribution, color, condition, rejection, recovery, and other relevant indicators alongside purchase price and service performance. Procurement can distinguish a stable premium supplier from a lower-cost but unpredictable source, operations can plan around expected variation, finance can quantify the cost of inconsistency, and quality teams can target audits or corrective action.
The suite also separates supplier effects from regional weather or plant-specific grading differences. MassGain does not certify suppliers or prescribe awards. It provides a transparent performance view that shows whether quality variance is temporary, structural, or concentrated in particular lots, helping teams negotiate, allocate volume, and manage supplier risk more intelligently.
Use Case
A frozen-fries processor prepares its annual supplier review. MassGain shows one supplier's average solids are acceptable, but week-to-week variation causes unstable recovery and line scheduling. Procurement reduces core allocation and keeps the supplier for flexible, less-sensitive products.
FAQs
Why measure supplier variance as well as average quality?
Inconsistent quality can create cost and disruption even when the average looks acceptable.
What should be controlled for?
Variety, region, crop year, storage age, plant, and delivery timing should be controlled for.
How does MassGain support supplier reviews?
It combines quality consistency with price, recovery, service, and rejection evidence.
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.