Current UCUI
68/100
Moderate-High Uncertainty
+4 points from prior reading
Potato Market Intelligence
Starch Potato Prices
Starch potato prices refer to potatoes valued for recoverable starch, so the market basis should include variety, dry matter, starch percentage, quality, tare, storage, region, freight, and supply channel. MassGain provides regional and historical context that processors can combine with laboratory and factory recovery data.
Market Data
How to read this market
Starch potato prices refer to potatoes valued for their ability to produce recoverable starch, so the market basis should include variety, dry matter, measured starch percentage, quality, tare, storage condition, delivery timing, region, freight, and whether supply is contracted or open market.
MassGain can organize starch-grade price observations with regional and historical context. Starch processors can compare offers using the physical market around the relevant sourcing area and then combine that evidence with laboratory and factory recovery data to estimate delivered cost per unit of saleable starch.
Data Module
Starch potato price context
Starch contentrecoverable percentage or related quality measure
Dry mattersolids supporting factory yield
Quality and tareusable delivered volume
Regionsourcing market and local availability
Supply basiscontract versus supplemental purchase
Decision usespot sourcing, inventory, and factory-cost review
Analysis
Why this matters
Starch-grade potatoes can trade differently from ordinary potatoes because their value is tied to extractable output. A lower-priced load may be uneconomic if weak dry matter or quality requires more tonnes and energy for the same starch production, while a premium lot can reduce effective cost through better recovery.
MassGain provides the market side of that comparison, including regional scarcity and historical spreads, while plant testing determines the actual conversion result. The correct analytical question is therefore not simply which lot has the lowest price per tonne, but which offer produces the best delivered cost per unit of recoverable starch after quality, tare, freight, and processing are considered.
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, starch plants, and ingredient buyers that need a current benchmark for potatoes valued primarily for starch recovery. Starch potato prices depend on more than general potato-market direction. Variety, dry matter, measured starch percentage, field and storage quality, tare, delivery window, regional availability, freight, and the balance between contracted and open-market supply can materially change the usable economics. MassGain’s potato data suite helps teams place quotes and purchases within the correct physical-market context instead of relying on a broad fresh-potato series that may not represent starch-grade material.
For a starch operation, the relevant comparison is often price per unit of recoverable starch. A low-priced load with weak dry matter may require more tonnes, handling, energy, and plant time to produce the same output. MassGain supplies the regional price history, supply signals, crop timing, and uncertainty framework; processors can then combine that evidence with laboratory results and factory recovery data to estimate delivered ingredient economics. This also helps distinguish a widespread market move from a localized shortage of suitable starch varieties.
The data can inform spot purchasing, contract reviews, inventory valuation, plant scheduling, and sourcing between regions. It provides a consistent reference for explaining why two nominal potato prices are not commercially equivalent. MassGain does not certify quality or predict the exact starch content of a load. It gives procurement and finance teams an independent benchmark around which quality, yield, and logistics adjustments can be applied transparently.
Use Case
A starch plant needs supplemental potatoes after stored inventory tests below expected dry matter. Two sellers offer replacement loads: a nearby low-price lot with uncertain starch content and a more expensive lot from another region with verified specifications. MassGain shows that the second region is not broadly overpriced and that suitable starch potatoes are locally scarce. After adding freight and expected recovery, the plant buys the verified lot for immediate production and uses the cheaper material only for a lower-value run where yield risk is manageable.
FAQs
Are starch potato prices the same as ordinary potato prices?
No. Starch-grade potatoes are valued for dry matter, recoverable starch, suitable varieties, quality, and delivery conditions.
How should two starch potato offers be compared?
Buyers should normalize freight, starch percentage, tare, defects, storage condition, and expected factory recovery, not just price per tonne.
Can MassGain show whether a premium is market-driven?
It can place the offer against regional benchmarks, historical spreads, supply conditions, and crop timing so the premium can be evaluated in context.
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.