Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Starch Potato Contract Prices
Starch potato contract prices value potatoes grown for recoverable starch and should be assessed against dry matter, starch percentage, variety, quality, tare, storage, region, freight, and delivery terms. MassGain supplies regional market context so processors can bridge from contract price per tonne to cost per unit of recoverable starch.
Market Data
How to read this market
Starch potato contract prices value potatoes grown specifically for recoverable starch and should be evaluated against starch percentage, dry matter, variety, quality, storage losses, tare, delivery timing, regional supply, freight, and processor extraction economics. Contract price per tonne alone does not describe the value delivered to a starch plant.
MassGain provides regional potato-market and supply context for those grower agreements. Processors can compare contract proposals with broader market conditions, then combine the benchmark with internal starch recovery, quality, freight, and storage data to estimate cost per unit of recoverable starch.
Data Module
Starch potato contract context
Contract basisgrower agreement for starch-grade potatoes
Starch contentexpected recoverable percentage
Dry mattersolids and factory yield potential
Quality and tareusable delivered feedstock
Region and freightsourcing-area delivered economics
Decision usecontracting, acreage, and starch-unit cost
Analysis
Why this matters
A starch-potato contract can justify a higher field price when higher dry matter or more dependable quality creates greater recoverable output. Conversely, a cheaper contract can be expensive at the factory if weak starch percentage requires more tonnes, energy, handling, and plant capacity.
The relevant analytical unit is therefore recoverable starch rather than delivered potato weight. MassGain helps establish whether the regional market and supply environment support the contract premium, while internal recovery data completes the economics. This distinction also matters when allocating contracted acreage: regional scarcity and biological performance should be evaluated together rather than treating every tonne as equivalent.
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 food processors and starch manufacturers that contract directly for high-starch potato varieties and need to evaluate whether proposed grower terms reflect the value of recoverable starch, not simply tonnes delivered. Starch potato contract prices are shaped by expected starch percentage, dry matter, variety, field performance, storage losses, tare, quality deductions, delivery timing, transport distance, and the processor’s extraction economics. MassGain’s potato data suite gives procurement teams an independent view of regional potato values, acreage and supply conditions, historical price movement, and crop uncertainty so contract offers can be tested against observable market fundamentals.
The key distinction is between headline price and economic yield. A contract with a higher base price may be more attractive when the crop consistently produces stronger starch recovery, while a cheaper offer can become costly if low dry matter increases processing volume and energy use. MassGain helps buyers organize the external market portion of that comparison and identify whether a proposed premium is associated with genuine regional scarcity, a specific variety requirement, or a negotiated commercial term.
Processors can use this context during preseason contracting, volume allocation, escalator design, and standard-cost planning. Combined with internal factory recovery, quality, freight, and storage data, the benchmark supports a cost-per-unit-of-starch analysis. MassGain does not estimate a grower’s private costs or replace laboratory testing; it provides a consistent market anchor for negotiating contracts whose value depends on both physical supply and starch performance.
Use Case
A starch processor is allocating next season’s contracted acres between two growing regions. Region A offers a lower base price, but recent crops have delivered weaker dry matter and require longer freight. Region B requests a premium but has stronger recovery and more dependable storage performance. Procurement uses MassGain to compare regional potato-market conditions and historical spreads, then combines those findings with plant recovery and logistics data. The processor awards core volume to Region B, keeps a flexible tranche in Region A, and writes a quality-linked adjustment into both contracts.
FAQs
What determines starch potato contract prices?
Regional supply, variety, starch percentage, dry matter, quality, storage, freight, delivery timing, volume, and contract adjustments all influence value.
Why compare contracts by recoverable starch?
Tonnes with higher dry matter can yield more saleable starch, so the lowest field price may not produce the lowest factory cost.
How can MassGain support starch potato negotiations?
It provides regional market benchmarks and supply context that buyers can combine with their own recovery, quality, storage, and freight data.
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.
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Public display does not grant rights to reproduce, redistribute, republish, or incorporate MassGain indices or references into commercial products or contracts without authorization.