Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Seed Potato Grade Size Requirements
Seed potato grade size requirements define the inspected size and defect profile that makes a certified lot suitable for a planting program. Growers and buyers can quantify specification-ready volume and compare sorting, relabeling, diversion, or replacement.
Market Data
How to read this market
Seed-potato grade-and-size data defines the size bands, grade attributes, defects, sampling rules, and tolerances that determine whether a certified lot fits a planting program or destination. The market object is the inspected seed lot by variety, class, size distribution, defect profile, and shipment.
Use the data to quantify specification-ready volume, allocate storage cohorts among customers, and compare resorting, relabeling, diversion, or replacement. Size and grade should be matched to the destination and planting system rather than treated as one universal seed standard.
Data Module
Seed Potato Grade Size Requirements
Market objectseed-lot grade and size profile
Primary measuressize bands, grade, defects
Key dimensionslot, variety, class, destination
Commercial usesorting, acceptance, allocation
Governancestandard, sample, inspection basis
Compare withusable volume and replacement supply
Analysis
Why this matters
A lot can be fully certified yet still be commercially mismatched if its size distribution or defects fall outside a buyer's program. Total seed tonnes and usable seed tonnes can therefore diverge.
Commercial interpretation should focus on the share inside the required bands and the cost of recovering compliance through sorting. A modest grade issue may be cheaper to correct than to replace the entire lot.
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.
October 26, 2026Latest MassGain publication
Flat headline prices mask a regional squeeze on carton russets
MassGain’s physical indicators are unchanged, but USDA shipping‑point reports and terminal quotes show premiums for 40–70s russets. UCUI remains NORMAL even as European yields and UK storage quality draw attention.
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 seed potato growers, packers, buyers, and certification teams that need to apply grade and size requirements consistently. Seed value depends on more than variety and generation: tuber diameter, weight, count profile, defects, sprouting, damage, and package presentation can determine whether a lot is legally eligible, agronomically suitable, and commercially acceptable. MassGain helps users connect those requirements with the exact seed lot, certificate, destination, and contract.
The suite can organize grade definitions, minimum and maximum size bands, tolerances, sampling rules, lot identity, inspection results, package labels, and shipment status. Growers can see which storage cohorts still fit a customer’s planting program. Buyers can compare received size distribution with the agreed specification. Certification teams can identify when a lot requires resorting, relabeling, reinspection, or diversion.
Requirements vary by jurisdiction, class, variety, and destination. MassGain does not issue grades or determine legal compliance. It provides the traceable quality and market framework needed to prevent mismatched shipments, quantify usable volume, and compare the economics of resorting, discounting, redirecting, or replacing seed.
Use Case
A seed grower prepares a lot for two customers with different size limits. MassGain compares grader data, certificate scope, package tags, and contract tolerances, then allocates the smaller profile to one buyer and resorts the balance for the other, avoiding a rejected shipment.
FAQs
What do seed potato grade and size requirements cover?
They can cover diameter, weight, count profile, defects, damage, sprouting, package, and tolerance rules.
Why must size be matched to destination?
Planting systems, certification programs, contracts, and customer preferences can require different size bands.
How does MassGain support compliance?
It links grader results, inspections, certificates, lots, tags, contracts, and shipment destinations.
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.