Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Russet Burbank Contract Prices
Russet Burbank contract prices reflect a major fry-processing variety whose solids, tuber length, storage behavior, crop conditions, and delivery timing shape raw-material economics. MassGain helps restaurant procurement compare regional market pressure with plant exposure before translating it into finished-fry contract costs.
Market Data
How to read this market
Russet Burbank contract prices are negotiated values for a major processing variety whose solids, tuber length, storage behavior, and fry performance affect finished-product economics. Relevant market drivers include acreage, seed availability, yield, quality specifications, storage, region, delivery period, freight, and processor demand.
MassGain gives QSR buyers a regional processing-potato benchmark and historical context for testing Russet Burbank cost claims. Procurement can compare the raw-potato movement with supplier plant exposure and then add recovery, conversion, packaging, freight, and service to understand the delivered fry-price impact.
Data Module
Russet Burbank contract context
VarietyRusset Burbank processing potatoes
Regionacreage, crop, and sourcing footprint
Qualitysolids, length, defects, and storage
Deliverycrop period, contract timing, and freight
Decision usefry renewal and supplier cost-bridge review
Analysis
Why this matters
Russet Burbank can diverge from generic russet pricing when processing-quality supply is tight or regional crop performance differs. A localized crop shortfall may justify a temporary premium for exposed plants without supporting a network-wide annual increase. The commercial interpretation should therefore match the premium to the actual sourcing region, volume, and duration.
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 10, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Potato prices quiet at $30/cwt as regional harvest damage buzzes beneath the surface
Market indicators are stable, but reporting from Europe and select growing areas shows real, localized crop stress — a reminder that steady headline prices can mask uneven physical risk.
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 is for QSR and restaurant procurement teams evaluating contract costs tied to Russet Burbank potatoes used in frozen fries and other long-cut products. Russet Burbank remains commercially important because its solids, length profile, storage behavior, and processing characteristics can materially affect finished-product yield and consistency. Contract pricing therefore depends on more than a broad russet quote. Regional acreage, seed availability, crop yield, quality specifications, storage condition, delivery schedule, freight, and processor demand all influence the economics. MassGain’s potato data suite gives buyers an independent way to compare those conditions with supplier claims.
The key question is whether a requested adjustment reflects genuine Russet Burbank pressure or a wider cost increase elsewhere in the supply chain. MassGain helps procurement examine regional price history, crop timing, historical spreads, and storage risk, then pair that evidence with supplier information on recovery, cut distribution, line efficiency, oil use, packaging, and logistics. This creates a transparent bridge from the raw-potato contract to the delivered case cost.
The analysis supports annual renewals, surcharge reviews, supplier allocation, and menu-margin forecasts. Buyers can test whether tightness is localized, whether alternate origins or varieties are commercially realistic, and whether a temporary disruption deserves a full-year premium. MassGain does not disclose private grower agreements or guarantee plant performance. It supplies the external market reference needed to evaluate Russet Burbank contract pricing consistently.
Use Case
A national QSR receives a full-year fry price increase after its supplier reports lower Russet Burbank yields in one primary region. MassGain confirms the local crop shortfall but also shows stronger stored supply at another plant in the supplier’s network. Procurement compares freight, expected recovery, and available capacity, accepts a temporary surcharge only on the exposed plant’s volume, and reallocates part of the program to the better-covered plant. The agreement includes a sunset trigger tied to regional supply normalization.
FAQs
What drives Russet Burbank contract prices?
Acreage, seed supply, yield, solids, length, defects, storage, freight, delivery timing, and processor demand all matter.
Why benchmark Russet Burbank separately?
Its processing performance, regional availability, and contract specifications can create a distinct premium or discount from broader russet markets.
How does MassGain help review a Russet Burbank increase?
It compares the supplier’s claim with regional benchmarks, crop conditions, storage risk, and feasible alternate supply.
Put this market intelligence to work
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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.